Just Like You
by Momentsofsilencearemusic
Summary: When her parents are unexpectedly killed in a Death Eater attack, Lyra Reed travels back in time to kill the boy who would grow up to be Lord Voldemort. Only...this is not her first time meeting Tom Riddle. As she grapples with the loss of her parents and of her own innocence, Lyra struggles to unravel the riddle of the boy who might just be a reflection of her own inner demons.
1. It's 1936?

**All belong to JK Rowling!**

 **23 December 1990**

It was almost Christmas.

Lyra Reed could not contain the excitement she felt bubbling up inside her at the prospect of her favourite holiday. Upstairs, her grandmother's beautiful old home had been decorated with fragrant boughs of holly, mistletoe, and ivy and the wonderful smell of cookies baked by the house elves wafted through the halls. In the living room stood the enormous pine tree her uncle Soren had gifted them and at the foot of the tree lay piles upon piles of beautifully wrapped presents - most of which, of course, were for little 9 year old Lyra.

But it was not yet Christmas, and so Lyra had decided to while away the days until it was Christmas going through her grandmother's boxes of old things in the basement. Unlike the warm upstairs, the basement was nearly as cold as the frozen Norwegian countryside outside and when Lyra breathed out she could see her breath. Picking up the next box of old souvenirs, Lyra winced in pain as her fingers, red from the cold, gripped the heavy box and transported it back to the center of the room where she had set up shop.

"Well aren't you a beauty just like your mother!" Exclaimed one of the old photographs as Lyra removed it from the box. She guessed the man in the photo must have been her great grandfather but truth be told, she wasn't sure.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked the man.

"Who am- who am I!?" The man cried indignantly, "What, did my own family forget me that fast? I'm you're great uncle Dominic Greengrass. I died when you were just a baby but I remember you...you were a well-behaved baby, always smiling and laughing."

"I- I'm sorry for not recognizing you." Lyra stuttered, feeling guilt seep through her.

"Now don't be sorry. Just hand me to your mother so I can give her a piece of my mind. She always was a troublesome one."

Lyra laughed at the man's assessment of her mother and made to stand up to bring the photograph to her mother when something shiny at the bottom of the box caught her eye.

Reaching her hand into the box, Lyra picked up what seemed to be some sort of cold clear stone. As soon as she touched the stone, however, it turned a deep emerald green and a warmth hidden in the depths of the stone seeped out to warm Lyra's frozen fingers.

"What is that?"

Lyra jumped, nearly losing her grip on the stone, at the sound of a young boy's voice coming from behind her. Spinning around, Lyra stared in confusion and fear at the young boy with jet black hair who had suddenly appeared out of thin air.

"Who are you?" Lyra asked, scrambling to her feet and stumbling backwards away from the boy.

"I asked you a question first." The boy snapped, glaring at her. "Answer me."

Lyra froze at his rude tone, unused to verbal abuse in a family that was so insanely loving and kind her friends thought it was surreal and almost fake.

"Well, what is it?" The boy repeated once again, jolting Lyra from her trance.

Lyra looked down at the stone in her hands, "I- I don't know. I just found it in that box." She said, pointing towards the box filled mainly with old photographs.

The boy looked unconvinced and so Lyra cautiously walked up to the boy and held out her hands. "Here. You can look at it."

The boy hesitated, clearly unsure whether or not he could trust her, before finally bringing up his own hands and gingerly accepting the stone. As soon as the stone touched his skin it immediately began glowing a bright gold, matching the colour of Lyra's hair, and Lyra screamed. All of a sudden, she was no longer in her grandmother's basement but instead in a small, rather shabby looking bedroom.

"Shh!" The boy admonished her angrily, looking from her to the door of his bedroom and back. "Be quiet, would you?"

"Where am I?" Lyra whispered frantically, staring around herself in speechless wonder, running her fingers along the wall, bed frame and wardrobe as if to make sure they were real.

The boy didn't answer however and instead stared down at the stone in his hand with a mixture of fascination and shock.

Beginning to get quite fed up with being ignored, Lyra tried again, "Is this your house?" She asked the boy and when he still didn't answer, she let out a sigh of frustration, "Would you please answer me?"

The boy looked up at last, annoyance sketched onto every feature of his face. "Do you know anything about how to use this thing?" He asked, completely ignoring her previous questions.

"I'm not telling you anything until you tell me who you are and where we are." Lyra snapped, crossing her tiny arms in an attempt to hide how scared she was.

The boy sighed in annoyance, "My name is Riddle and we're in London."

"Is this your house? Is Riddle really your first name?" Lyra asked in confusion.

"Yes, this is my...house." Riddle replied.

"What's your first name?" Lyra pressed.

The boy positively glared at her, "Tom." He snapped with such disgust that Lyra thought it almost sounded like a swear word.

"I was in Norway." Lyra said tentatively in an attempt to diffuse the tension she seemed to have created, "This stone is like a portkey without all the spinning!"

"A portkey?" Tom asked, and Lyra realized for the first time that perhaps this boy was a Muggle.

"I- I mean it's like a...so I once watched this movie where they had these things called portkeys that let you travel great distances very quickly and it reminded me of this." Lyra muttered quickly, trying to cover up her mistake. If this boy really was a Muggle she could get into a lot of trouble for telling him about magic.

Tom eyed her suspiciously, "You're lying." He snapped, "Don't think you can fool me because you can't."

"I'm not lying!" Lyra exclaimed loudly, prompting Tom to look anxiously towards the door and shush her angrily.

Lyra shut her mouth abruptly and looked towards the door, wondering why the boy seemed so afraid of someone hearing them. It was then that her gaze fell upon a Muggle newspaper lying on the bed with the headline "Edward VIII returns from visit to India".

While Lyra was not very interested in the British monarchy, she did know enough to know that Edward VIII was no longer the king of the UK in her own time. Lyra snatched up the newspaper, ignoring Tom's protests, and stared in shock at the date: November 23rd, 1936.

"That's mine." Tom snapped, finally succeeding in wrenching the paper out of her hands and Lyra turned to stare at him.

"It's 1936?" She asked incredulously.

Tom gave her a strange look, "What year did you think it was?"

"1990." Lyra replied, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she rushed to the window and stared out at the world of nearly 60 years ago. She could see old fashioned cars driving down the street between buildings that may not even exist in her own day. Excitedly, she turned back to look at Tom, a boy who must have been her grandmother's age in her own time. Now that she noticed it, his clothes were very old fashioned indeed.

Tom was staring down at the golden stone in his hand as if it were made of literal gold and had just made him rich beyond belief.

"Why me though?" He muttered under his breath and Lyra frowned.

"Why you what?" She asked.

Tom looked up, "Why did this stone bring me, specifically, to your basement?"

Lyra shrugged, unable to figure out a possible answer. "And why did it bring me to your room?" Lyra continued, "It's as if when I hold it you are brought to me and when you hold it I am brought to you."

Tom stared at her for a moment as if suddenly seeing her for the first time, before suddenly thrusting the stone back into her hands. Immediately, Tom's bedroom disappeared and they were back in Lyra's grandmother's basement. In her hands, the stone glowed a dark emerald green.

"Fascinating." Tom muttered under his breath.

"I know what to do, I'll ask my grandmother about the stone!" Lyra exclaimed, already edging towards the staircase.

"No!" Tom cried sharply, stepping forward quickly and holding his hand out for the stone. "Don't be stupid, if you tell her she'll take away the stone."

"No she won't." Lyra replied, "She's so nice, I know she would never take it away. She'll probably know what the stone is for."

"No, don't you get it? She'll think it's dangerous or too powerful and she won't let you hold it anymore." Tom replied somewhat frantically, "Here, give it back to me. I'll figure out what it's for."

Lyra backed away from him slowly, unwilling to give the stone to the boy and be forced back into the 1930s again for god knew how long.

"No, I'm going to ask my grandmother." Lyra insisted, "It's hers anyway."

Tom glared at her and Lyra felt the stone begin to move in her hand as if being pulled towards Tom by some invisible force. Lyra gripped the stone even harder, staring at Tom in surprise. Perhaps he wasn't a Muggle after all.

"Are you...?" Lyra asked, trailing off as the look on Tom's face confirmed her suspicions.

"If you don't give it to me I'll make you." Tom warned, and Lyra felt a flicker of fear; perhaps this boy's magic was stronger than her own...there was no way to tell at this point.

"I'm sorry." Lyra apologized, figuring that if she dropped the stone he would disappear and she would be free to bring the stone to her grandmother. "I promise I'll come back."

"You won't." Tom snapped bitterly.

"I will." Lyra promised as sincerely as possible before letting the stone slide from her hand and drop to the ground.

In an instant, Tom was gone and she was alone again.


	2. What was his name?

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Running so fast down the hallway she nearly slipped and fell, Lyra rounded the corner at last and skidded to a halt in front of hed parents and grandmother, who were seated around the kitchen table. The three adults looked up at her in surprise and Lyra immediately bubbled over with excitement, holding out the stone, which she had carefully wrapped in a piece of cloth to avoid contact with her fingers, for them to see.

"Do you know what this stone is, grandma?" Lyra asked excitedly.

"Where did you find that?" Lyra's mother asked, a half smirk on her face.

"In the basement," Lyra replied, "When I held it in my hand a boy appeared."

At this her parents exchanged a meaningful look and her grandmother smiled kindly.

"A boy appeared?" Her grandmother asked, gently, "How old was he? What was his name?"

"He looked to be about my age but he was British and from the past. When he held the stone I even went into the past with him and ended up in his bedroom. His name was something really unique, I think it was Riddle. Tom Riddle."

Lyra watched as the look of mild amusement on her mother's face melted away into a look of utter terror. Her father's face had gone white and his eyebrows were knitted together the way they did whenever he was worried about something. Her grandmother, for her part, looked as if Lyra had just announced she was dying of some terminal disease.

"What?" Lyra asked, confused and worried by the looks on their faces.

"Sweety, can I see that stone?" Her father asked and Lyra hesitated, thinking of Tom's warning. What if they did take it away forever? But then again, what if it was dangerous...

Slowly, Lyra walked forward and placed it in her father's hand. Immediately, the stone began glowing a bright red and Lyra looked around the kitchen excitedly, expecting to see someone appear, but no one did.

"Why doesn't anyone appear when you hold it?" Lyra asked.

"Because the boy you saw wasn't real." Her mother said abruptly, standing up and unceremonially plucking the stone out of her husband's hand. The stone turned a deep navy blue in her hand.

Lyra frowned in confusion at her mother. She had always been naive; however, she couldn't shake the feeling that for the first time that she was aware of, her mother was lying to her.

"If the boy wasn't real then why were you so scared when I told you about him. Do you know him or something?" Lyra asked, beginning to wish she had followed Tom's advice and kept the stone hidden.

Her mother and grandmother exchanged a look and Lyra saw her mother's hands shaking as she held the stone.

At last, her mother turned to look at her, "This stone is incredibly dangerous. Do you understand me, Lyra?" Her mother said sternly.

Lyra frowned, feeling a shiver run down her spine, "But why?"

"It does not matter why. I want you to promise me you will NEVER under ANY circumstances touch this stone again. Do you understand me?"

Lyra stared at her mother in mingled shock and confusion, tears beginning to prick at her eyes, "But why is it dangerous?!" Lyra cried exasperatedly.

At this, her grandmother quickly stood up and pulled her into a hug, "Honey, we're not able to explain it to you right now but I promise you will find out when it's time."

Lyra pulled away from her grandmother to glare accusingly at her mother. "You know he told me you would say it was dangerous and take the stone away. Tom told me you would."

At this her mother's face turned a pale shade of grey before becoming a shade of red Lyra had only seen on the angry Muggle man who lived next door whenever he complained about Lyra's owl pooping on his lawn.

"Go to your room." Her mother said with more venom than Lyra could ever remember hearing in her mother's voice.

"Miriam, honey-" Her father began, shutting his mouth at the murderous look she gave him.

Lyra stood rooted to the spot, she didn't understand what she had done wrong. She felt her confusion and anger build inside her until she felt what she could only assume was hatred towards her mother. Tears threatening to spill, Lyra turned and ran from the room, taking the stairs to her room two at a time. Slamming the door to her bedroom behind her and locking it magically, she flung herself onto her bed, finally letting the tears come.

It wasn't fair. Why was her mother lying to her and why was she mad at her? She hadn't done anything - in fact her mother had even looked amused when she had first told her she had found the stone. It was only after she had mentioned Tom that her mother had gotten upset.

Flipping onto her back and staring up at the chandelier above her bed, Lyra realized she would never be able to fulfill her promise to Tom now. He would think she abandoned him or didn't like him.

Feeling sick with guilt, Lyra sat back up, realizing she had to find a way to get the stone back. As quietly as possible, Lyra pushed herself off the bed and opened her bedroom door, tiptoeing down the hallway as silently as she could.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Lyra sat curled up in a ball on the first step, listening to the conversation going on in the kitchen below.

"We don't even know if it was him, Miriam." Lyra heard her father reason, "Tom Riddle is a common name-"

"A common name!?" Shrieked her mother, "How many people do you know named Tom Riddle?"

There was a pregnant silence, and Lyra squeezed her hands together, trying to stop them from shaking.

"They were the same age, Robert." Lyra heard her mother say dully.

"Honey, the time turners are all under the strict protection of the ministry, how could she get-"

"Well apparently she does! Or worse, _he_ does." Lyra's mother snapped, pure hatred in her voice as she referred to this Tom Riddle she supposedly knew.

"There could be other explanations," Lyra's grandmother said softly, "They could share a relationship through the stone without either one using a time turner."

"I'm sorry, mother, but can you explain to me how that is at _all_ better!?" Lyra's mother screeched, and Lyra felt sorry for her grandmother.

"It could have been wrong." Lyra's father said.

No one spoke for a long time and just as Lyra was about to sneak back into her room unnoticed, she heard movement in the kitchen downstairs.

"Tom Riddle never had a single friend in all the time I knew him." Lyra's grandmother spoke softly, "If the stone is right..."

"Let's not jump to conclusions." Lyra's father replied calmly.

* * *

 **November 23rd 1936**

Tom resisted the urge to scream as the girl's basement disappeared and he found himself back in his own shabby bedroom in Wool's Orphanage. He had been _so_ close to escaping this wretched place and discovering what, exactly, it was about him that was so different from the other children. To have been robbed of it by a stupid little blonde girl with an airy look about her was completely and utterly infuriating.

She'd promised she'd be back.

Tom knew better than to believe people when they promised things. More often than not promises were simply ploys to get something out of someone else; no one actually cared to make good on them.

Still, despite his rational mind, a small part of Tom still hoped she'd be back.

Tom stared out the window at the dreary street beyond, reliving everything that had just happened. She had been shocked, he'd been pleased to see, when she'd realized he could move the stone without touching it. Tom smirked. She was no different than the others at the orphanage - they were all impressed by silly tricks like that too.

The rest of the events had made no sense. Why had the stone opened up a portal between just the two of them, out of all the people in time and space? Why the stone glowed green when she held it and gold when he did? Why had such a seemingly ordinary girl had such a rare object in the first place?

Tom sat down at his desk, scratching at a chip in the paint, mulling over these questions in silence for so long he was surprised to hear the familiar rap on his door and the voice of Mrs. Cole, the orphanage caretaker, signalling it was time for dinner. Gritting his teeth at the annoying interruption of his reflection on what was the most interesting thing to have happened to him, quite possibly ever, Tom glared in the direction of the door.

If the girl had not come back yet, it was highly unlikely she ever would, Tom thought to himself. Feeling a surge of anger at the girl who had ruined everything, Tom glared at his face in the oval-shaped mirror on the wall; shattering the glass wordlessly.


	3. Ms Reed?

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

 **1990-1991**

The rest of Christmas break passed rather uneventfully and after a few days, the tension between Lyra and her mother disolved and all seemed, on the surface, as if nothing had happened.

At the end of the holidays, Lyra returned to her home in Britain, the incident pushed to the back of her mind. It wasn't until her parents announced that they would be making a trip to her first cousin, Astoria Greengrass's home, for their annual spring party that Lyra realized she would finally have the opportunity to tell Astoria about what had happened. Seeing as she attended a Muggle elementary school and didn't know any other magical children her own age in her home town, she had had no one to talk to about the stone. She had considered sending Astoria a message by owl, but decided against it when she realized anyone could intercept and read it.

When they finally flooed into Astoria's large living room, Lyra was unable to contain her excitement.

"Story!" Lyra cried, running to envelop her cousin in a hug.

She could hear her parents greeting Astoria's behind her as she eagerly pulled back out of the hug and the two girls grinned at each other. Despite not growing up in the same town and despite Lyra's mother's estrangement from the pureblood world she had been born into, they had been close friends since birth. This was mainly due to Natalya Travers, Astoria's mother and Lyra's mother's sister, who refused to cut ties with her sister, as most of the family had done, after she married a Muggle-born. While Lyra's parents still refused to attend parties at the Greengrass mansion for the sake of avoiding hostilities, they often dropped Lyra off to allow her to spend time with her cousin and future classmates. Not that her future classmates were her favorite people in the world...the future pureblood Slytherins to-be were all too happy to tease her about her blood-status and insult her parents.

"I'm so glad you got here early," Astoria began, pulling Lyra away from the adults towards the stairs that led to her bedroom. "Everyone is coming. I mean, literally everyone."

"Oh no, does that mean Crabbe and Goyle are coming?" Lyra asked; her dislike of the two larger boys apparent.

Astoria sighed, "Sadly. Luckily Draco's coming so he'll be able to keep them under control."

"Keep them under control!? Draco!? Story, he's the worst of the three of them. Without him they'd just be trolls." Lyra exclaimed.

Astoria laughed, "They're trolls regardless."

Lyra rolled her eyes, pushing open the door to Astoria's room. The girls quickly closed and locked the door behind them and scrambled onto the bed, grabbing plush pillows to lead against.

"So," Lyra said, once they were settled in, "I need to tell you a secret...but you have to promise not to tell anyone else."

Astoria's eyes lit up with excitement, "Okay, what is it?"

Lyra glanced nervously towards the door, uncomfortable about speaking about the incident after keeping silent for so long.

"You know how there are all those boxes down in Grandma's basement?" Lyra asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Astoria nodded.

"Well I found this stone in one of them and when I held it...don't think I'm crazy...but a boy from 1936 appeared in the room."

Lyra paused and Astoria frowned in confusion, "What do you mean he appeared?"

"I mean he literally appeared out of thin air. He wanted to know what the stone was for and so I gave it to him and as soon as I did...I ended up in his bedroom in 1936."

Astoria's eyes widened, "Is this a joke?"

"I swear to Merlin it isn't!" Lyra exclaimed emphatically, "I saw the newspaper on his bed, it said 1936."

"So then what happened?" Astoria prompted.

"Then he gave me back the stone and we ended up back in grandma's basement. I was so confused by the stone I wanted to ask grandma, but the boy didn't think it was a good idea. I did it anyway though and as soon as I dropped the stone he disappeared."

"What did grandma say?"

"Nothing much but my mom flipped when I told her the name of the boy. She took the stone and I've not seen it since. I overheard her and my dad and grandma talking about the boy though. They knew him and they obviously hated him and didn't want me to talk to him."

Astoria stared at her, fascinated, "What was his name?"

"Tom Riddle." Lyra said and Astoria shook her head.

"Never heard of him."

"Never heard of who?" The drawling voice of Draco Malfoy asked, as he opened the door.

"Malfoy how long have you been out there!?" Lyra cried, resisting the urge to throw a pillow at him.

"Just long enough." Draco said, smirking.

"Do you know who Tom Riddle is?" Lyra asked, hoping against hope that he wouldn't run and tell anyone else she'd been asking about the mysterious boy.

Draco frowned, "No, why would I know who your stupid little boyfriend is?"

"He's not my boyfriend!" Lyra exclaimed, tossing the pillow at him for real this time.

Draco laughed, "Sorry, it seems that's a touchy subject for you? He reject you for being a half-blood?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, very used to Draco's taunts. She had learned from experience that his bark was far worse than his bite. It was only when he insulted her parents that she ever felt any true anger towards him.

"Let's talk later." Astoria said, nodding towards Draco. "Want to go get some food? I heard mom saying there's going to be pumpkin tarts."

Lyra grinned, excited at the prospect of food. Her and Astoria jumped off the bed, pushing Draco out of the way as he tried to block their exit. Astoria finally ended up grabbing his arm and pulling him out after them as the three of them ran down the stairs of the Greengrass mansion.

Lyra felt a surge of pure happiness and for a moment, she forgot all about the boy from the past.

* * *

 **5 June 1997 - 6 years later**

"Are you insane?" Lyra cried, throwing her arms up and drawing annoyed looks from the Slytherins studying nearby.

Lyra quickly covered her mouth and mouthed a wordless apology to them, her face flushing red from embarassment. It was not a good time to get on the bad side of Slytherins seeing as they had essentially taken over the school under the tyrannical reign of the Carrow twins. In fact, Astoria and Lyra were the only non-Slytherin students in the library aside from a pair of Gryffindors a couple of tables over. Students just become simply too afraid to spend any time outside their common rooms and risk becoming the next victim of the Carrow's "justice system".

Unfortunately for Lyra and Astoria, seeing as the first was in Hufflepuff and the second in Ravenclaw, the library was one of the few places they could meet up outside of class. The two cousins had returned for their sixth year at Hogwarts to find the school had been taken over by Death Eaters and torture had become a regular punishment for those opposed to the new system. Being a pureblood with a prominent last name, and having parents who were content to remain neutral in the war against Voldemort, Astoria was left alone for the most part. Being a halfblood with a Muggle last name, and having parents who were currently in hiding, Lyra had to be much more careful.

Not that she was the most rule-breaking, rebel-rousing person to begin with...

Lyra had grown up shy and passive. She had fit in well with her fellow Hufflepuffs on that front, but was unable to make any real connections with them due to the fact that she was, to put it bluntly, vastly more intelligent than the rest. As such, she had been left with Astoria as her only true friend - the other purebloods they had grown up with having more or less shunned the two of them for not being sorted into Slytherin. Draco Malfoy, of course, had been the one encouraging the others to disassociate themselves from Lyra and Astoria, only to turn around and fall in love with Astoria at the most inopportune moment. Astoria had pushed him away, understandably, and not long after he had left for good, to go work for Voldemort as a Death Eater. Astoria had been having nightmares ever since.

Astoria shook her head, leaning forward to whisper to her cousin, "I had a dream You-Know-Who was making him torture people."

"Story your dreams aren't always real." Lyra said halfheartedly.

Astoria gave her a withering look, and was about to open her mouth to respond when her body was wracked with a sudden coughing fit, and Lyra immediately grabbed Astoria's bag and rifled through it trying to find her cough potion.

"Accio cough potion!" Lyra cried and the bottle flew into her hand. She quickly unscrewed the lid and handed it to Astoria, who accepted it gratefully.

After a few gulps, Astoria straightened up and let out a shaky laugh.

"Did you forget to take it again!?" Lyra whispered, worry and exasperation clouding her mind.

Astoria's pale cheeks tinged red, "I took it now didn't I?"

Lyra gave her cousin a pointed look and Astoria sighed "Fine."

"Ms. Reed." The soft voice of Mrs. Sprout called, and Lyra looked up at her Head of House in surprise.

"Would you please come with me?" The kind woman asked, something about the expression on her face making Lyra's stomach churn uncomfortably.

Astoria looked equally worried, her large brown eyes staring up at Mrs. Sprout as if she was trying to read the woman's mind.

"I'll meet you tomorrow same time?" Lyra said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

Astoria nodded mutely, and Lyra felt another wave of fear wash over her at the look on her face.

It was nothing important. Lyra thought to herself as they walked silently through the halls towards Mrs. Sprout's office. It was probably about her courses or her Herbology paper. Perhaps it was about the tutoring program she'd unofficially started within her own House...seeing as she was the only Hufflepuff who had gotten straight O's on her owls the year before...well except for in Potions that is...

At last they arrived outside the office and Mrs. Sprout wordlessly unlocked the door. With a wave of her hand, she gestured for Lyra to go inside first and followed behind her, taking a seat at her desk in front of Lyra.

A pregnant silence followed and Lyra fidgeted in her seat.

"Ms. Reed, I-" Mrs. Sprout began, before her voice caught in her throat and she had to pause.

Lyra felt her heart pounding against her chest as she held her breath.

"Ms. Reed, I am so sorry." Mrs. Sprout tried again, this time a tear escaping her crinkled eye. "We just received news this morning of a Death Eater attack on a hideout near the Isle of Skye. Your parents have been counted among the deceased."

Lyra felt the breath go out of her as if she had been punched in the gut. Struggling to breathe, Lyra stumbled to her feet, staring blankly at her head of house until her vision began to blur, she felt herself lose balance, and all went black.


	4. I'm going to kill him

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

"Lyra." Astoria breathed, clutching Lyra's hand as her eyes fluttered open.

She was in the hospital room. For a blissful second she was confused before it all came crashing back to her. Her parents. Dead. Voldemort. He had killed them...maybe not in person but it was Still. His. Fault.

With a surge of anger, Lyra sat up, her hands beginning to shake. It was him, it was always him. She should have killed him when she'd met him all those years ago. Tom Bloody Riddle.

"Ow, Lyra what are you-" Astoria cried, and Lyra looked down, a distant part of her mind realizing she was squeezing her cousin's hand.

With a shock wave of remorse at the look of pain of Astoria's face, Lyra let go of her hand, "Sorry." She muttered.

"It's okay, are _you_ okay?" Astoria asked,

"I'm going to kill him." Lyra whispered, turning to stare at Astoria, "I'm going to kill him." She said louder.

"Shhh." Astoria warned, "Not now, not here."

Lyra laughed, and the sound of it sent chills down her own spine. She understood now - why it was the stone had shown her Tom. She was the one meant to kill him, not Harry. She had been preparing for this for years - ever since her first year, when the Chamber of Secrets had been opened and she'd found out who Tom Marvolo Riddle truly was. She had become obsessed with him, researching everything she could about his life and family and legacy of terror. She knew more about Tom Riddle than she knew about her own parents and yet never in a million years had she thought her own beloved parents would end up counted among his victims.

"Lyra, lay back down, you're not-" Astoria began, but Lyra cut her off.

"No. Story. I don't care anymore. This is the last time I'm going to submit to any rules of _his_." She snarled, and a glass on the table beside her bed shattered, causing Madam Pomfrey to come over.

"Ms. Reed! What is it that you think you are doing?"

Lyra ignored her, swinging her legs over the side of the hospital bed. Before Madam Pomfrey could open her mouth to protest, Lyra had already grabbed her wand and sent a red stunning spell square in her chest.

"Lyra!" Astoria screamed as Madam Pomfrey crumpled to the ground, "What are you doing!?"

Lyra looked over at her sweet cousin and best friend, feeling love swell up in her chest. "I'm sorry, Story. I have to do this." She whispered, stepping over the unconscious body of the nurse, and running for the door to the hospital wing. From their beds, the other students looked up in surprise and fear at the scene but Lyra ignored them, skidding out into the hall and taking off at break-neck speed towards the third floor where she knew a secret tunnel to Hogsmeade was located - she had seen Fred and George Weasley sneaking into it once back in third year.

She could see the blank stretch of wall that hid the passageway when she hear footsteps behind her and the chilling voice of Alecto Carrow called out to her.

"Girl, you would do better to stop right there!" Her shrill voice called in a falsely sweet tone that sent chills down Lyra's spine.

Lyra kept running, reaching the stone wall and whispering the necessary spells needed to open it. The passageway materialized before her eyes and she turned to face her pursuer. She could make it. She knew it. Carrow was far enough away that she could escape and reseal the passageway before she arrived. But as her supposed "teacher" sent the cruciatus curse her way, and Lyra deflected it, she felt her heart set on fire and she stepped away from the passageway towards her teacher, now within two meters from her.

Carrow raised her wand, with a twisted smile on her face, and opened her mouth to scream some sort of horrible curse. Only she never got to.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lyra screamed, pointing her wand at the Death Eater's face, watching the light leave her eyes and her lifeless body crumple to the ground in a flash of green light.

* * *

She was dead.

Lyra stared down at the immobile body of Alecto Carrow and waited for the guilt that usually plagued her conscience whenever she so much as spoke too loudly to come. There was nothing. She was entirely numb.

Without a second glance, Lyra turned and entered the passageway, sealing it behind her and then taking off down the rocky tunnel as fast as her legs would carry her.

Within no time, she reached the Shrieking Shack and leaned against the wall for a moment, catching her breath, before quickly turning on the spot and disapparating.

As she felt the familiar feeling of being squeezed through a tube, Lyra watched the Shrieking Shack disappear into darkness before she landed on the concrete street outside her family home. It had been boarded up and enchantments placed on it back in September when she had gone off to school and her parents had gone into hiding. A painful lump in her throat, Lyra began to climb the steps of her home, undoing the enchantments as she went.

The front door creaked loudly as she opened it, and Lyra stepped inside, breathing in the familiar smell of her life before the war. The sight and smell of her house - so perfectly intact while everything else was broken - was too much and Lyra felt something deep inside her break. Feeling like a zombie, Lyra walked through the halls of her home before climbing the stairs slowly, running her hand along the familiar banister.

With trembling hands, she pushed open the door to her parents bedroom. The sight of their perfectly made bed, tidy desk, and clothes hanging in the closet was too much and Lyra felt what remained of her strength evaporate. Sinking to her knees, against the wall, Lyra curled up into a ball and, for the first time since receiving the news of her parents' deaths, cried.

Lyra had no idea whether it was hours or minutes before she finally stopped crying and was able to pull herself up to a standing position once again. She felt even worse than before - worn out, tired, and depressed - but she knew she had to find the stone if she would be able to fix this mess.

"Accio stone!" Lyra cried, fully expecting the spell not to work. A slew of small pebbles flew towards her and she threw up a shield charm just in time to stop them from hitting her.

"Revelio." Lyra tried, running her wand over all parts of her parents' room. She didn't even know if they had even kept the stone; let alone whether they had kept it in this room.

She began pulling out boxes of shoes, clothes, jewelry; ransacking everything, trying to find the stone. She overturned the entire room, finding nothing.

Sighing, Lyra turned and walked towards her own room. Pushing open the door, she found it exactly as she had left it. Only one thing was different. On her bed lay a package wrapped in purple ribbon. Frowning in confusion, Lyra walked over and picked up the package, nearly dropping it in shock when she read the gift tag on it.

 _To my dear Lyra_

 _From grandma_

Lyra quickly looked around herself, fear suddenly coursing through her. Was this a trick? Was someone else in the house? How could her grandmother have left her a present when she had been _dead for 2 years?_

With trembling fingers, Lyra undid the ribbon and opened the package, her heart beating uncontrollably when she realized what its contents were. Inside the gift wrap was another velvet bag containing something hard and round. Careful not to touch the object, itself, Lyra peered inside the bag to see the glimmer of the stone.

"How?" She breathed, her heart beating a mile a minute.

Placing the stone on the bed, she pulled out the short handwritten note that had been tucked inside the package with the stone.

 _Dear Lyra,_

 _If you are opening this package it is because you must have lost someone you love to Voldemort. I am very sorry, my dear, and I do hope I am still around to provide you with comfort during this difficult time. Your parents do not know I placed such an enchantment on the stone. I did not tell them because I knew they, especially your mother, would not understand. You are under no obligation to use the stone, but should you choose to do so, remember this: darkness is simply the absence of light; evil, the absence of love. You my dear, have always been full of light and love._

 _I'll love you forever,_

 _Grandma_

Lyra felt her throat close in as she let the note fall onto the bed. Her grandmother _wanted_ her to use the stone. Had she known all along what would happen? Did this mean Lyra was correct? Was she really destined to go back in time and kill Voldemort?

Light and love. These were not qualities associated with murder - nor could they be appropriate applied to herself anymore, she realized with a sense of dull sadness. She had killed a woman in cold blood. She was no saint.

But she deserved it. Lyra remembered, feeling the rush of anger that had fueled the murder in the first place. Tom Riddle - he deserved to die even more. It was just; it was right. It was the only way to end the war, bring her parents back to life, and restore the peace. She _had_ to.

Lyra grabbed the stone, carefully slipping it out of its velvet pouch and onto the bed without touching it. All she had to do was reverse the spell so that instead of Tom coming to her when she touched it, she went to him. It was a simple enough operation and she quickly cast the appropriate spell. Next, she had to widen the distance between her and Tom, so that she didn't appear in the middle of his bedroom as soon as she touched the stone.

This part was harder and Lyra had to scavenge through the library in her parents room for a book that gave suitable instructions. Even then, she was unsure she had performed the spell properly when she finished the incantation. Praying to Merlin that she had cast the spells properly, she quickly shrunk the stone into the size of a small gem and replaced the gemstone on one of her rings with the magical stone, ensuring the stone was still able to touch her skin at all times while she was wearing the ring.

Carefully, Lyra lifted up her finished product. With one last look around her house for the sake of nostalgia, Lyra slipped the ring onto her finger and disappeared from the world of 1997.


	5. Nice to meet you

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

 **August 29, 1943**

The first thing Lyra felt when she landed in 1943 was the rain.

Cursing under her breath, Lyra quickly transfigured a nearby stick into a bright yellow umbrella - the color had been an unfortunate accident - and put it over her head. Wiping the water out of her eyes, she looked up. Looming high and desolate in front of her was a giant brick building with the words "Wool's Orphanage" written in chipped block letters above the door. For an insane moment, Lyra considered walking over the building and knocking on the door before coming to her senses and turning away quickly. It would be highly suspicious if Tom Riddle saw her now. She had to come up with a plan to kill him first.

* * *

Tom Riddle stared down at the piece of parchment in his hands - his back to school shopping list for his final year at Hogwarts. He had been restless for weeks now, counting down the days, quite literally, until he would be able to leave this godforsaken place and return to his own kind. This time, when he left, he would never have to come back to the orphanage again. He would be 17 in December and from that day forward the Muggle orphanage would have no right to detain him because he would be considered an adult in the wizarding world. The anticipation was almost too much to bear.

Looking out the window, Tom spotted a bright yellow umbrella disappear around the corner and absentmindedly wondered why anyone would choose such a glaringly obnoxious color for an umbrella.

Turning away from the window, Tom carefully folded the piece of parchment and placed it in his pocket. Putting on his coat, he left his room; locking the door behind him and descending the steps to the main floor.

"Mrs. Cole." He said flatly, reaching the kitchen where she was cooking dinner with the help of some of the children, "I'm going to buy my school things. I'll be back late."

Mrs. Cole, a rather pudgy woman in her late 40s looked up to glare at him. "Be back before dark or find yourself some other place to sleep tonight." She barked, before turning her back on him deliberately.

Tom ignored her, walking briskly towards the front door and leaving the orphanage. He felt his mood increase immediately as he left the wretched orphanage behind, walking quickly through the London streets towards Diagon Alley. He even found it in him to smirk to himself - he could almost taste freedom in the air.

* * *

As she walked aimlessly through London, Lyra realized she had just foolishly traveled over 50 years into the past without a food, water, clothes, any possessions of any kind, and most importantly, a plan.

I am a complete and utter idiot, Lyra thought to herself.

She couldn't help drawing all sorts of strange looks, between her umbrella and her 1990s clothes, she stuck out like a sore thumb. Spotting a Muggle clothing store, Lyra quickly entered the shop, spilling out all of the Muggle change she had managed to bring with her onto the counter. It wasn't much.

"Please, sir, what can I buy with this?" Lyra begged, hoping the storekeeper would think she was extremely poor and take pity on her. It was 1943, in the middle of a war, she figured she could play that card.

The storekeeper looked down at the coins and raised his eyebrows as he counted. "Young lady, this is hardly enough for a summer's dress, let alone something appropriate for the coming fall."

"I'll take it. Anything." Lyra said, hoping she sounded as desperate as she felt.

The old man sighed and went into the backroom, returning after a moment with a dress so plain and ugly, Lyra thought it was better made into a rag than worn.

"Thank you!" She cried, "Do you mind if I change into it here?"

"Go ahead." The man said, gesturing towards a changing room off to the side of the shop.

Lyra quickly changed into the new dress, vanishing her soaked clothes from the future and emerging dressed like a poor girl from 1943. Surprisingly, she found that she didn't mind the dress that much, now that she had it on.

Back out on the street, Lyra quickly made her way along the streets to the Leaky Cauldron. She breathed a sigh of relief as she entered the pub and got out of the rain. Shaking out her umbrella, she walked over to the brick wall she knew led to Diagon Alley and tapped the appropriate bricks, revealing the passageway beyond.

The street was as packed as ever, despite the rain, and Lyra felt almost happy to find something so familiar in a world so far removed from her own. Still unsure about her course of action, Lyra stopped in front of Flourish and Blotts and entered the bookstore, hoping to find a quiet place to think through her next moves. Of course, it being just a few days before the start of term at Hogwarts, the store was packed with children. Annoyed, Lyra quickly climbed the stairs to the quieter, upper level of the bookstore and submerged herself among the rows of books, traveling farther and farther back until she could finally hear her thoughts over the clamor of voices from below.

It was almost time for Hogwarts. That meant Tom Riddle would be going to Hogwarts, Lyra realized with a start. Somehow, she needed to get herself admitted to the school. Dumbledore could help her...she knew he was around in Riddle's time. She just needed a convincing enough backstory and a way to find Dumbledore and she was set.

Feeling quite pleased with her plan, Lyra turned a corner and ran right into a shopper holding a pile of books in their hands. The books tumbled to the ground and Lyra stepped back in shock.

"Sorry!" She cried, quickly bending to pick up the books.

As she stood up to hand them to their owner, her heart stopped. Was she in some sort of novel where unlikely coincidences happened or was she just really, really unlucky?

"It is not a problem." Tom Riddle said politely, his dark brown eyes boring into hers with such intensity that Lyra felt as if her legs were going to give out from under her.

"My name is Lyra Reed." Lyra said extending her hand, her mind whirling a mile a minute. "I'm transferring to Hogwarts this year. Are you at Hogwarts as well?" She asked, mentally slapping herself. She had used her real name; now she would be unable to come up with a fake one; whether that mattered, she wasn't sure.

"Yes, I am going into my seventh year." Tom replied, grabbing her hand and sending electric shock waves up Lyra's arm. "My name is Tom Riddle."

"Nice to meet you." Lyra said, managing a smile, "If you will excuse me, I better get going."

"Of course." Tom replied in his perfect, polite voice, as Lyra slid past him and quickly hurried down the stairs, her heart racing.

She didn't stop walking until she reached Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor and took a seat at one of the tables. She had just come face to face with Voldemort and she had acted like a blushing schoolgirl. He probably thought she was an absolute idiot; not that she cared. She could have killed him right then and there and then vanished on the spot, returning to 1997 where no one would be able to catch her. Then again, she had heard rumors Voldemort had made himself immortal. Before she attempted to kill him, she had better find out whether those rumors were true and if so, when exactly he had managed to make himself immortal. Surely, he hadn't already done it?

Then again...she had heard it had been a 16 year old version of Voldemort who had possessed Ginny Weasley back in first year... If that was true, that meant that, since he was nearly 17, he had probably already encased his 16 year old self inside the diary. How he had done so or whether such an action was part of his plan for immortality, Lyra did not know. All she could reasonably determine was that it was highly likely he had already taken the first steps towards becoming Lord Voldemort.

In fact, from Lyra's research, she knew with near certainty that he had already killed his father and grandparents and she knew with absolute certainty he had already killed Moaning Myrtle. Thus, in his short 16 years on earth he had committed four murders, opened the Chamber of Secrets and somehow placed a portion of himself in a diary so that he could release the basilisk on the school when the timing was right.

Merlin.

Lyra shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to find a way to get to Dumbledore. Seeing as she had no idea where he was, she figured her best shot at getting to see him might just be illegally boarding the Hogwarts express. Of course, this plan was horribly risky as it was very well possible that she could be found out, kicked off the train, or worse, reach Hogwarts only to be turned away at the gates. However, it was the best plan she could come up with.

"School supplies." Lyra whispered to herself. She had to be prepared to act out her role as a transfer student when she arrived at Hogwarts. It could take months to discover what steps Voldemort had taken to ensure his immortality and how to break through his defenses. In the meantime, she had to masquerade as a regular student.

Tom was in seventh year...Lyra figured she would have a much better chance to spying on him if she was in the same year as him. However, skipping ahead an entire year...it would be a challenge.

Her mind buzzing, Lyra stood up and left the ice cream parlor, entering Mr. Potage's cauldron shop next door. As soon as she entered the shop, the whiny voice of a young girl reached her ears and Lyra looked around for the source of the voice, finally spotting a tiny white-haired girl arguing with the shopkeeper.

"Well I think it's absolutely outrageous for you not to have them." The little girl said snottily, her thin arms crossed over her chest.

"Listen, sweetheart, the kind of cauldron you're talking about is not suited for anything other than-"

"Eliza!" The sharp voice of an older boy barked, and Lyra watched as a carbon-copy of Draco Malfoy walked up to the little girl and grabbed her by the arm. "Father said to meet him at 10. Do you have any idea what time it is?"

The little girl yanked her arm out of her brother's grasp and rolled her eyes, "Well if it's getting late then why don't you go get him and come back and meet me here when I'm finished."

"What a wonderful idea. If you're lucky you'll earn yourself a spanking." The older boy, whom Lyra was nearly certain was Abraxas Malfoy, Draco's grandfather, said.

"Excuse me." Lyra said, approaching them before they could leave. "I was wondering if I could ask one of you a quick question."

"We're leaving." Abraxas said sharply, "Come on, 'Liza."

"No, I'm not leaving!" Eliza screeched, "What's your question?" She asked Lyra.

"I'm transferring to Hogwarts this year - in seventh year - and I lost my school supply list on the way here. Would you happen to know any seventh years who could help me out?" Lyra asked, the little girl, glancing periodically up at her (very irritated) brother.

"Abraxas is in seventh year!" Eliza cried, looking up at her brother, "Show the girl your list!"

Abraxas looked ready to murder his sister, but forced a smile when he looked at Lyra, "I'm sorry, but we _really_ have to go. We're extremely late."

"Mother has an extra copy of the list, just give her your list." Eliza argued, raising her eyebrows expectantly at her brother.

Abraxas sighed, "Fine." He snapped, riffling through his coat to produce the list and then shoving it into Lyra's hands.

"Thank you." Lyra said, genuinely surprised he had agreed to give it to her. She had a feeling Draco would not have been so generous.

Abraxas made no reply, instead turning on his heel, pulling Eliza along with him towards the exit.

"Bye!" Eliza cried over her shoulder, twisting in her brother's grasp to grin wildly at Lyra, "See you at Hogwarts!"

Lyra raised a hand to wave goodbye, wondering whether, just maybe, it was possible that the purebloods of the 40s weren't quite as obnoxious as those of her own time.


	6. Elaina Selwyn

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Lyra finished her shopping as quickly as possible, carting all of her stuff up to a room on the top floor of the Leaky Cauldron. As she closed the door behind her and let her purchases drop onto the floor, Lyra suddenly realized how dead tired she was. It was more than a physical fatigue, it was as if her entire soul had been crushed into tiny pieces and then she had been expected to carry on living regardless. Well, Lyra thought bitterly, that is a rather apt description.

Dropping herself onto the bed, Lyra pulled the covers over her head and lay immobile under the sheets. Despite her fatigue, she was nowhere near being able to sleep. In fact, Lyra doubted she'd ever be able to fall asleep or feel anything more than dead inside ever again.

Her life was over; she had died along with her parents and she didn't recognize the girl who had taken over her body. She had _murdered_. She had murdered a woman in cold blood and felt it was _justified_. She was a _Hufflepuff_ for the love of Merlin! She wasn't supposed to not feel anything when she hurt people.

Lyra squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to feel the tiniest bit of remorse, but all she felt was emptiness. Emptiness and rage. Alecto Carrow and the rest of the Death Eaters were as guilty as Voldemort when it came down to it; they were just less intelligent, less charismatic, and less ambitious. If anything, it only made them more despicable.

Lyra flipped the covers off her face and glared at the ceiling of her room. She felt her veins turn to fire and she had to restrain herself to prevent shattering something she would later have to pay for.

Even the Malfoys were the same. Sure Astoria was in love with Draco, and Lyra herself had essentially grown up with the annoying prat, but he was Still. Guilty. He was still cruel and horrible and nasty and...Lyra ground her teeth together thinking of how nice she had been to Abraxas and his sister even though Abraxas had been rude. She'd even had the poor sense to think "Oh, he seems better than his grandson", instead of focusing on how the entire family was disgusting.

Lyra turned over in bed, curling up into a ball and imagining all the ways she could get back at the arrogant pureblood elite. She had grown up with them but they had made sure she knew she was not one of them. From snide comments about her blood, to outright nasty insults directed at her parents, they had shamed her and shunned her for having Muggle grandparents. She knew from her history books that the 1940s were no different, really.

It was the very ideology of the pureblood supremacists that had allowed Voldemort to rise to power. It was that ideology that had killed her parents. It was the fault of pureblood society just as much as it was the fault of Voldemort.

But she was going to make them pay.

Twisting and turning, Lyra lay awake late into the night, thinking up scheme after scheme of how to best get revenge. She was not only going to kill Voldemort - she was going to destroy the lives of all those who would deem to look down their noses at anyone who was not pureblood.

She had tried being patient, she had tried being kind, and where had it gotten her? No, the old Lyra was dead.

And the new Lyra was ready to raise hell.

* * *

The morning of September 1st arrived bright and sunny and Lyra glared at the sun, feeling personally insulted by its cheerfulness. Packing her trunk and changing into her Hogwarts robes, seeing as she had nothing else to wear, she left the Leaky Cauldron for the first time since she'd checked in and apparated to King's Cross Station.

It was crowded as usual and Lyra pushed through the throngs of Muggles towards platform 9 3/4, pushing her heavy truck along in front of her on a trolley. As she pushed through the barricade, the Hogwarts Express rose into view; a much older model than the one she was used to, but just as magnificent.

Trying not to look at the crowds of students and parents saying their goodbyes, Lyra climbed on board the train and quickly found an apartment to herself; locking the door and shutting the blinds so no one could disturb her. Unable to contain herself, she peeked out the window, feeling a pang of grief run through her at memories of her own parents sending her off to Hogwarts.

Lyra quickly replaced the blinds on the windows and sat back in silence. Not having slept well the past few days, Lyra lay herself down on the train seat and closed her eyes. She had nearly fallen asleep when she was jolted from her slumber by a harsh rap on the door.

Cursing whoever it was, Lyra sat up and unlocked the door, opening it to reveal a girl who reminded her eerily of Astoria.

"Are you the only one in this compartment? If so, I must ask you to share because we are rapidly running out of space in the other compartments." The girl said sharply, looking down at the two young students standing next to her and then back up at Lyra.

Lyra wondered briefly why the girl was being so bossy before noticing the shiny Prefect's badge on her chest, just opposite the crest of Slytherin house.

Great. Another snake.

"Sure, of course." Lyra said, drawing back the blinds and moving her stuff to allow the younger students room to enter the compartment.

"What were you doing with the door locked and blinds drawn anyway?" The Prefect girl asked, suspiciously.

"I was sleeping." Lyra replied dryly, forced a tight-lipped smile at the girl. "Now, if you're excuse me, I really am tired so-"

"I'm sorry, what's your name?" The girl asked, and Lyra froze. Surely this girl didn't know everyone in school?

"Lyra Reed." Lyra replied, trying to hide her fear, "And yourself?"

"What house are you in?" The girl asked, and at this Lyra sighed.

"I'm a transfer student. I haven't been sorted yet." She replied, "My parents were killed by Grindelwald a few days ago, so really, the whole transition has been very abrupt. In case you were wondering, _that_ , is why I locked the door and drew the blinds to catch up on lost sleep."

The girl looked taken aback, her pale face scanning Lyra up and down, presumably trying to decide whether she believed her or not.

"Also, I would _really_ appreciate it if you kept this all to yourself. I am not in the mood to have students gawking at me." Lyra added, looking back at the younger students who were now seated in the compartment as if to say "you too".

The Prefect girl was silent for a moment before nodding. "Of course." She said, turning to leave.

"Wait." Called Lyra, a realization dawning on her, "What's your name?"

"Elaina Selwyn." The girl replied, and offered a weak smile.

Lyra could barely contain her heart from jumping out of her chest as she mutely waved goodbye to the 17-year-old version of her favorite grandmother.

* * *

 **Just a quick clarification: Elaina Selwyn married Hendrick Travers and they had two girls: Natalya and Miriam Travers. Natalya Travers then married Soren Greengrass and they had two daughters: Daphne and Astoria Greengrass. Miriam Travers married Robert Reed and they had one daughter: Lyra Reed.**


	7. Not the only one

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

As the train screeched to a halt at the station in Hogsmeade, Lyra stood up abruptly, her heart pounding. It was now or never.

Hurrying out of the compartment ahead of the two younger students she had shared it with, Lyra pushed through the crowds to get off the train as soon as possible. As she walked towards the carriages she noticed she could now see the thestrals that everyone had been talking about since the war started. They looked like skeletal horses with wings and Lyra tried to ignore them; the sight of them bringing back unpleasant memories of the dead body of Alecto Carrow.

Shivering involuntarily, Lyra hoped into the nearest carriage, purposefully avoiding eye contact with the other students in the carriage. The three of them, two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff, stared uneasily at her for a few moments before continuing on the conversation she had interrupted by her entrance.

The closer to Hogwarts they got, the more Lyra found herself shivering. She crossed her arms against herself and looked out the window of the carriage, finally noticing what it was that was making everything so cold. High above the lake, floating like grotesque rag dolls were a fleet of twenty or so dementors.

"What- what are they doing here?" Lyra asked the others, finally breaking her silence.

The three students gave her strange looks, "Protecting us." One of the Ravenclaw girls said.

"Just like last year." The other Ravenclaw girl added, raising her eyebrows to look at Lyra with suspicion.

"Are you...new?" The Hufflepuff boy asked.

"Yes." Lyra said, dully.

The Hufflepuff boy looked excitedly at the girls, before turning back to Lyra, "You know you're not the only new one this year! I met this boy on the train...said he was a transfer student from Durmstrang."

Lyra turned to look at the boy, her interest peeked, "Do you know why he's transferring?" She asked.

The boy shrugged, "Said he didn't like Durmstrang. They teach you the Dark Arts there, you know? Not just defense against them, but the real thing! Creepy isn't it?"

Lyra forced a smile and nodded, before turning back to look out the window.

"So where are you from?" One of the Ravenclaw girls asked.

"Albania." Lyra replied, forcing a tight-lipped smile just as the carriage mercifully screeched to a halt and Lyra jumped out before she could be interrogated any further.

Quickly pushing through the crowds, Lyra found her way to the front of the mass of students. Spotting a red-haired man who she was nearly certain was a younger version of Dumbledore, she quickly ran over to him.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir." Lyra blurted out, panting from her run. "I need to talk to you."

Dumbledore looked down at her, surprise and curiosity etched into his features. "You are not a student here?"

"No, but I want to be. Please, sir, I _need_ to be." Lyra said, desperately.

Dumbledore assessed her for a moment and then said, "Very well. You'd better follow me, Ms...?"

"Reed." Lyra said, "Lyra Reed."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Ms. Reed." Dumbledore said, smiling down at her with the same twinkle in his eye that she recognized from the Dumbledore of her own time.

"And you." Lyra breathed, smiling genuinely for the first time in days.

The din of the crowd of students grew fainter and fainter as Lyra followed Dumbledore through the halls of Hogwarts. Lyra couldn't help looking around herself, feeling at once at home while noticing every subtle difference that reminded her she was, in fact, very far from home.

They stopped at last outside of the Headmaster's office, and Lyra watched as Dumbledore spoke the password, revealing the staircase beyond.

"Headmaster Dippet will be quite surprised to see you." Dumbledore said, "You're not the only transfer student we've taken in this year."

"So I've heard." Lyra replied, as they climbed the stairs to the office.

At last, they reached the top of the stairs, and Dumbledore gently rapped on the door.

"Come in!" Lyra heard a man call out and Dumbledore pushed open the door to reveal a circular room filled with portraits. Lyra had never seen the Headmaster's office before and found it difficult to prevent her eyes from wandering all over the place.

"Headmaster, it seems we've got another potential transfer student on our hands." Dumbledore said, walking towards Dippet, who was seated at his desk.

Lyra stared at the Headmaster, noticing that he was quite short and round, not at all the way she had imagined him.

"I see." Dippet said, leaning back in his chair to rest his hands on his stomach. "What is your name, Ms?"

"Lyra Reed, sir." Lyra said, launching into her whole backstory of being home-schooled and orphaned, hoping to Merlin her voice sounded emotional and desperate enough.

At the end of her story, a silence fell and the Headmaster exchanged a look with Dumbledore.

"Well, Ms. Reed, we certainly can't accept a witch without proof of her magical abilities, nor can we accept international students without consultation with the country from which they originated."

Lyra felt her throat close in on her, how in the name of Merlin was she supposed to fill these requirements. "I was born in Britain, sir." She said, knowing it was the only believable story due to her unmistakable British accent. "My parents did not record my birth, though, because they feared the Ministry would not allow them to home-school me if they knew I existed. That's part of the reason why they moved to Albania...to hide from the Ministry. As far as official records go...I don't exist." She said, her fingers trembling.

To her horror, she felt the two men begin prying away at her mind, attempting to use legilimency on her. Lyra quickly shielded her mind the way her mother had taught her at the beginning of the war.

After a few moments of silence, a rap on the door broke the three of them out of their contemplation.

"Come in!" Headmaster Dippet called, and a red-headed Gryffindor girl, sporting a Head Girl badge, entered; surveying the scene with mild curiosity.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but the sorting ceremony is due to begin any moment and-"

"Not to worry, Ms. Weasley." Dippet said, standing up. "We will be there shortly."

Lyra stared in shock as she watched the ancestor of her classmate, Ginny Weasley, nod and disappear back out of the door.

"We'll see to this matter later. For now, I suppose you ought to be sorted and begin your classes. An investigation into a matter such as this could take weeks or months and in the meantime, I do not see the harm in having you educated." Headmaster Dippet said, and Lyra breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, sir!" She said, smiling gratefully up at him, "Thank you so much."

Dippet waved away her thanks, "Not to worry, Ms. Reed. Just please write here which classes you would like to take and then come along before we delay the feast any longer."

High on the knowledge that her place at Hogwarts was secure, at least for the time being, Lyra had to force herself not to skip as she followed Dippet and Dumbledore out the door and down the stairs.


	8. Slytherin!

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Lyra's monentary feeling of elation was short lived as the sound of the students in the Great Hall grew ever louder. This was it...there was no going back now.

"Ms Reed, if you will just enter through here and wait in the antechamber." Professor Dumbledore said, stopping in front of a large wooden door.

Pushing open the door, Lyra stepped into a dimly lit room filled with anxious-looking children. The tiny first years turned to look at her as she entered; their conversations stopping immediately.

Lyra lifted a hand, tentatively waving at the children.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Lyra heard a familiar voice ask and her eyebrows shot up in surprise as she spotted Eliza Malfoy leaning against the wall nearest to the door leading to the Great Hall.

"Eliza?" Lyra asked, stepping closer to the little girl.

"What makes you think we're on a first name basis?" Eliza sneered and Lyra felt her limited liking for the girl evaporate. Behind Eliza, Lyra heard some of the other first year girls snicker.

Merlin, was she being bullied by a first year? Lyra thought, her lips turning up into a humourless sneer.

"My mistake." Lyra said dryly, "I'll be sure to address you with more respect in the future." She finished, laughing humourlessly.

Eliza crossed her arms, realizing she was being mocked. "You didn't answer my question. Why are you here?"

Lyra fixed the girl with a look of pure disgust, refusing to answer the little snob.

"Well?" Eliza asked, "Why are you-"

"First years." Professor Dumbledore said, opening the door to the room and flooding the room with light from the Great Hall. "If you will please follow me."

Lyra looked up at him, wondering whether she was supposed to go as well.

"Wait a moment, Ms. Reed." Dumbledore said, holding up a hand to her.

Lyra nodded mutely, exchanging one last look with Eliza before the tiny blonde girl turned her back on her and followed her peers out of the room into the Great Hall.

Lyra heard cheering from the other room as the first years presumably made their way across the stage. Pressing her face to the crack in the door, she could catch a glimpse of the scene beyond.

"Barmy, Aaron." Professor Dumbledore called out and Lyra watched a chubby little boy waddle over to the stool and sit down.

The Sorting Hat had hardly been on his head for a minute before it cried out, "Hufflepuff!"

For the first time, Lyra realized there was a possibility she could be placed in a different house than she had initially been in. She had changed a lot since she had last worn the hat...was she still Hufflepuff? Her mission certainly would be a lot easier if she were to be placed in Slytherin...

Lyra mulled this over as she watched the eleven-year old witches and wizards take turns sitting on the stool and being sorted. Eliza Malfoy, unsurprisingly, was sorted into Slytherin; although, the Sorting Hat did take an unusually long time to decide. Lyra watched as the little blonde girl's eyes lit up with a look of something almost akin to relief as she practically ran down off the stage towards the Slytherin table.

At last, the first years were sorted and Headmaster Dippet rose to the stand; explaining to the students that two transfer students were to be sorted. Lyra realized she had forgotten all about the other transfer student and wondered where he was for a moment before, right on cue, the door behind her opened and a frazzled-looking brown-haired boy entered the room.

"Thank Merlin." He breathed, out of breath. "You're still here." He said, running a hand through his hair, which was sticking up at all angles.

Lyra stared at him in mingled shock and confusion. She opened her mouth to question him when the door in front of her was pulled open by Professor Dumbledore and she was blinded by the light of the Great Hall.

Her heart in her throat, Lyra followed Dumbledore out onto the stage, staring out at the crowd of faces in front of her. She barely even registered that the other transfer student had followed her as she walked over to the stool and sat down. Scanning the crowd for Tom Riddle, she spotted him just before the hat dropped down over her eyes; a surge of hatred filling her at the sight of his face.

"Well, now aren't you interesting." The Sorting Hat said, and Lyra felt the hatred she felt for Tom turn into annoyance at the hat's tone.

 _Put me in Slytherin_ , Lyra thought, and to her even greater annoyance the hat laughed.

"A Hufflepuff who wants to be in Slytherin." The hat mused.

 _I'm not Hufflepuff anymore_ , Lyra thought bitterly.

The hat was silent for a moment, "You are still more Hufflepuff at heart than you realize." The hat said, and Lyra felt her chest constrict. She _had_ to be in Slytherin. She had to be.

"However," the hat continued, "I see great ambition in you. Great cunning and a talent for deception."

 _And I need to be in Slytherin so that I can deceive them_ , Lyra thought desperately.

"Deceive _him_ , you mean." The hat said, and Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine. The hat couldn't possibly spill her secrets...could it?

Lyra ground her teeth as the Sorting Hat burst out laughing, "I'm not in the habit of meddling in the affairs of students." The hat said simply. "However, you might be just what Slytherin needs."

"Slytherin!" The Sorting Hat cried, and Lyra felt her heart sing with relief as she walked down the steps towards the Slytherin table.

Lyra felt her heart race as she made a beeline for the dark-haired head of Tom Riddle. The rest of the Slytherin students eyed her curiously, clapping and cheering for their newest house member, but Lyra barely registered their existence. She had eyes only for the boy who ruined - would ruin - her life.

Stopping in front of Tom, Lyra slid onto the booth in front of him in between a girl with jet black hair and a slight boy with sandy hair. Lyra grinned darkly at Tom as she sat down and the past self of Lord Voldemort fixed her impassively with his dark-brown eyes, a polite smile on his handsome face. Lyra glanced down at the cutlery in front of her, imagining what it would be like to stab the boy in front of her with her fork.

"Nice to meet you again, Reed." Tom said; the image of perfect politeness; a shiny Head Boy badge on the front of his robes.

At his words, the students around them stared from Tom to Lyra, expressions of surprise and confusion on their faces.

"You've met?" The black-haired girl asked, an edge to her voice.

"Yes, in Flourish and Blotts." Tom replied smoothly, and Lyra turned to the girl.

"Your name is...?" Lyra asked.

"Rosier. Druella Rosier." The girl replied haughtily, looking Lyra up and down.

"Reed." Another girl to the left of Tom said, "That's not a pureblood name...is it?"

Lyra forced a tight-lipped smile, "No. It's not." She said dryly, "My father was a Muggleborn."

To her left, Lyra heard Druella snort and turned to fix her with a harsh look, "Is there a problem, Rosier?" Lyra asked scathingly, and the dark-haired girl merely smirked.

Lyra turned to meet the eyes of Tom in front of her, realizing that ironically, he might be the only one to not judge her for her blood status.

"Don't pay Druella any mind." The girl sitting next to Tom said, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face. "Half-bloods are more than welcome here."

Lyra forced a smile, nearly certain the girl was being insincere, "How generous of you." She sneered. "Let me guess, I am the only half-blood in our year."

A heavy silence fell over the table and the sandy-haired boy sitting next to her fidgeted uncomfortably.

"Riddle is also half-blood." A red-headed girl sitting to the right of the sandy-haired boy said, and Lyra watched as a barely imperceptible flash of anger passed behind his eyes.

"Oh really?" Lyra asked, looking up Tom innocently.

Tom smiled politely at her, "Where did you say you were from again?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Albania." Lyra replied.

"And why are you transferring to Hogwarts?" The sandy-haired boy asked.

"My parents were killed by Grindelvald." Lyra replied with a tight-lipped smile.

"They must have been blood traitors." Druella mused, a nasty smirk on her face.

Lyra turned to smile nastily at the girl, "Yes, in fact, they were." She said sharply.

"But surely you're not one yourself", the boy sitting to the left of Tom said, speaking for the first time.

"Of course I am." Lyra replied serenely, causing Druella to inhale sharply and the boy to frown. Lyra gave him a tight-lipped smile before turning his back on her to turn to the red-haired girl. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was?"

"Rosalie Prewett." The girl replied, smiling genuinely and Lyra felt she may have found at least one person she could tolerate.

"And your name is?" Lyra asked the sandy-haired boy next to her.

Once again, the boy furtively glanced at Tom before answering, "Eridanus Avery." He replied simply.

"And how do you feel about blood traitors...Eridanus Avery?" Lyra asked, fixing her eyes on the boy's pale, freckled face.

"I-I think they're a disgrace." He stuttered and Lyra laughed, making Eridanus glare at her.

Lyra turned back to the boy sitting next to Tom, noticing for the first time that Abraxas Malfoy was seated on the other side of him.

"Hello again, Malfoy." Lyra sneered, and Abraxas glared at her.

" _You_ know her too?" The other boy asked, turning to the blonde to stare at him, incredulous.

Abraxas wrinkled his nose in disgust and shook his head, "Hardly. We met in Diagon Alley as well."

"The Sorting Hat took an awfully long time to decide on where to place your sister." Lyra continued, smirking at him, "Are you sure she was meant to be in Slytherin?"

At this, Abraxas's face turned a shade of lively pink, "How _dare_ you question-"

" _Restraint_ , Malfoy." Tom snapped, turning to the blonde. "I am certain Ms. Reed meant no offence by her statement." He said, turning to lock eyes with Lyra.

"Certainly not." Lyra replied without breaking eye contact with Tom.

He was certainly the leader of the others, Lyra realized. Despite his blood status, there was an unmistakable deference paid to him by everyone, with the possible exception of Rosalie Prewett.

At last, Lyra broke eye contact to look down at the untouched food on her plate. She had completely forgotten about dinner and wasn't the slightest bit hungry. Out of the corner of her eye, Lyra watched as Tom's long pale fingers buttered a slice of bread, feeling her hatred for him burn inside her. He was right in front of her and there was _nothing she could do to him._

Lyra looked up, eyeing the jug of orange juice in front of her. With a sudden movement, she reached out as if to grab the bottle, knocking it forward instead, straight into Tom Riddle's meal and lap.

With a sudden intake of breath, Tom leapt up, his eyes widening in shock as the orange liquid flooded his plate and splattered all over his black robes. The other students stared open-mouthed; some glaring at Lyra, others clearly trying to hide their amusement.

"I'm so sorry!" Lyra cried, reaching for a pile of napkins and desperately trying to clean up the mess.

Tom made no reply, pulling out his wand instead and attempting to siphon the juice off his robes. Lyra looked up, furtively at him, inwardly relishing in the pure look of veiled fury on his face. He was livid and that made her ecstatic.

"You have got to be the clumsiest idiot I have ever met!" The girl to the right of Tom cried, herself having been splashed with a little bit of orange juice.

"Don't worry Olive, the smell of oranges will go lovely with that ridiculous perfume you're wearing." Druella sneered, laughing maniacally as the other girl glared at her and Rosalie snorted into her pumpkin juice, trying to hide her laughter.

Lyra bit her lip to stop from smiling herself, trying to focus on cleaning up the mess. In front of her, Tom had finished cleaning her robes and quickly vanished the remaining orange juice from the table. Lyra mentally smacked herself, why hadn't she thought of that?

"Brilliant." Lyra breathed, and Tom quirked an eyebrow at her, most likely thinking she was a royal idiot.

"What school did you say you went to before coming to Hogwarts?" He asked, an edge to his voice that hadn't been present earlier.

 _He resents me_ , Lyra thought gleefully.

"I didn't." Lyra replied, "I was homeschooled."

"You were _what_?" Druella screeched, nearly choking on her food.

"You really are quite the little freak, aren't you?" The dark-haired boy sitting next to Tom sneered.

"You still haven't told me your name." Lyra said dryly.

"Cygnus Black." The boy replied and Lyra smiled humourlessly.

"Well that explains it." She muttered.

"Explains what?" Cygnus snapped, and Lyra opened her mouth to respond when Dippet's voice rang out across the hall and announced that dinner was over.

Tom stood up immediately, looking to his left. Lyra followed his gaze and watched as the 17-year-old version of her grandmother stood up from where she had been sitting and nodded at Tom. Lyra clenched her fists, wondering what Elaina Selwyn would think if she knew that her fellow Prefect and Head Boy would one day murder her daughter and son-in-law.

Lyra wondered why her grandmother had sat so far away from the other seventh years.

"Who's she?" Lyra asked Rosalie as they stood up to follow Tom and Elaina out of the Great Hall.

"Who? The seventh-year Prefect?" Rosalie asked, and Lyra nodded.

"That's Elaina Selwyn." Rosalie replied, "She's brilliant but lately she doesn't talk to anyone aside from Lestrange."

"Lestrange?" Lyra asked.

"Cepheus Lestrange." Rosalie replied, nodding towards a dark-haired boy to their left. "Everyone knows Elaina's mother is dying of a blood curse. Rumour has it the whole female line is cursed but it only resurfaces every few generations."

Lyra felt a pang in her chest as she remembered Astoria's condition. She had been the next in the family to suffer from the curse.

"That's terrible." Lyra replied.

"Maybe she'd talk to you though." Rosalie mused, "You know...seeing as your parents..."

"Yes, I know." Lyra snapped.

Rosalie bit her tongue and went silent; seemingly realizing she had struck a nerve.

Lyra shook her head, forcing her pain down inside her, "Sorry, I just don't like talking about them."

Rosalie nodded as they stopped outside a blank stretch of wall that Lyra knew from Astoria's testimony led to the Slytherin common room. Draco had snuck her in one night as part of some insane bet that had ended in Astoria not speaking to him for the next two years. What exactly had happened that night was still a mystery to Lyra.

"Wormwood." Tom said, and an ancient-looking wooden door, engraved with an emerald snake, materialized in front of him.

Lyra and Rosalie followed the others into the dimly-lit common room and Lyra found that it was quite different from the bright and cozy Hufflepuff common room. Instead of the bright yellow and black couches and pull out chairs, her new home had emerald green walls and sleek black divans and armchairs. In the corner of the room sat an ornate wooden table and above it all hung a chandelier, casting silvery light down on the room.

"Kind of fancy." Lyra whispered to Rosalie, who shrugged.

"This house is filled with insanely rich purebloods who would beg to differ." Rosalie whispered back, "Compared to my own living room this is actually quite average."

"Compared to my living room, this is aristocratic." Lyra replied, and the two girls laughed quietly.

Descending the stairs to the dorm rooms, Lyra and Rosalie stopped outside the seventh-year girls' dorm, pushing open the door to find that Elaina, Druella and Olive were already inside.

"What a pity." Druella sneered, giving Lyra a dirty look, "I'd begun to hope you'd decided you didn't want to stay at Hogwarts after all."

Olive laughed and Rosalie shot them both dirty looks, "Oh shut up, would you? No one has enough energy to deal with you."

"Wow, would you look at that?" Olive sneered, "Seems Prewett finally made a new friend. How does it feel to be replaced at last, Selwyn?"

Lyra felt a shiver run through her as she stared between Rosalie, Olive and Elaina. She did not know what kind of drama she had just walked into but she had not come all the way back to the 40s just to get caught up in some teenage girl soap opera.

"You know, Hornby, you better watch out or one day I might just cut your tongue out while you sleep." Rosalie snapped and Olive feigned fear while Druella laughed maniacally.

Elaina who had remained silent throughout the entire conversation drew the curtains around her green four-poster bed and Lyra walked over to own bed; thinking her grandmother had the right idea. She had no energy to deal with petty childhood rivalries.

"Goodnight everyone." Lyra said, exasperatedly as she closed the curtains on her own four-poster bed. Casting a spell to block out the arguing of her roommates, she crawled into bed and tried to go to sleep.


	9. You already know

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Only she didn't sleep.

Outside her four-poster bed her roommates could have been murdering each other for all she knew, thanks to her muffling spell. However, no amount of peace and quiet from outside could drown out the voices in her own head.

The satisfaction of her petty act of spilling orange juice all over Tom had quickly evaporated leaving behind a dull emptiness. For days, Lyra had practically prayed to feel nothing and now...she would have given anything to replace the emptiness with even the worst grief.

Lyra rolled over onto her back and stared up at the green curtains above her. She had grown up subconsciously resenting the color green, Lyra realized. Slytherin had been her mother's house and the house of her mother before her, but she had always been a Hufflepuff like her father. Now she didn't know who she was.

Liar, murderer, Slytherin, _orphan_. These were all words that could be applied to her now, and with a shock Lyra realized they could also be applied to Tom. _But I'm nothing like him_ , Lyra reminded herself. Everything she had ever done had been for justice. It had been done out of good intent, not out of a desire for power or fame.

Pushing these troubling thoughts out of her mind, Lyra turned to her situation at hand. She would have to start classes tomorrow...classes a year above her actual grade level in a time period in which the curriculum could be very different. She would have to start her investigation; the sooner she discovered whether or not Tom had already taken steps towards immortality the sooner she could finish this mission and go home.

Lyra ran her fingers across the soft surface of the emerald stone in her ring. She still had no idea why her grandmother had given her the ring, nor what its purpose was. Perhaps the Elaina Selwyn of the 1940s knew.

Closing her eyes, Lyra tried desperately to sleep; tossing and turning, thoughts running through her head a mile a minute. As the first rays of light began to filter their way through the curtains around her bed, Lyra sighed in defeat. There was nothing left to do but go pour herself the largest cup of coffee possible.

* * *

Tom had already been up for over an hour by the time the first of the other seventh-year Slytherin boys began to stir. Putting down the book he had been reading on alchemy, Tom swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up; already dressed for the day.

"Merlin, Riddle! Did you even sleep?" Cepheus Lestrange asked, yawning as he sat up in bed; his head a mess of curly black hair.

Tom shot the boy a dark look, walking briskly to the door and leaving the dorm room before any of the other idiots could pester him. The only thing Tom preferred about the wretched orphanage was the privacy his single room gave him. Due to his "undesirable tendencies" as Mrs. Cole called them, Tom had been given a single room since he was seven - a privilege none of the other orphans had received to this day. If the room had not felt so much like a prison cell, Tom would have been pleased.

The Great Hall was empty as usual at this time in the morning as Tom took his usual place at the Slytherin table. Remembering the events of last night, he felt raw anger surge through him.

She had meant to do it; Tom was sure of it. There had been a look of poorly veiled malicious glee in her eyes when she had spilled the orange juice all over his robes and dinner. He didn't even need Legilimency to know she hated him; it had been written all over her face whenever she smiled at him. The girl was hardly a good liar.

But _why_. That was the real question. Why did she hate him so much when he had been nothing but polite to her - even _defended_ her - while the other students had virtually attacked her. Had she seen through his pretence? Had she judged his character correctly after only a few minutes? Had she seen something in him that day they had met in Diagon Alley that had made her suspicious? Or worse...did she _know_ something about him?

Even more disconcerting than these questions was the strange sense of deja-vu he had whenever he looked at her. It was almost as if he _knew_ her from somewhere.

Tom shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. There was absolutely no reason to be paranoid for no reason. He would watch her intently over the next couple of days and with the right blend of charm and Legilimency he would soon have all the answers he needed.

"Hello Riddle." A voice said, making Tom jump. He ground his teeth in annoyance as he looked up into the smirking face of Lyra Reed.

"Good morning." He said, putting on his most convincing mask of polite cordiality. "How did you sleep?"

Lyra sat down and quickly reached for the coffee pot, "I didn't." She replied, laughing humourlessly. "You?"

Well that explained why she looked like a corpse, Tom thought to himself. "Fine, thank you." He replied, "Do you mind if I ask what it was that-"

"You already know." Lyra interrupted and Tom stared at her. It had been years since anyone had been so blatantly rude to him and in a weird way it almost amused him.

"I already know?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What classes are you taking this year?" Lyra asked, and Tom noticed her hands were shaking as she poured herself some cereal.

"Why did you avoid my question?" Tom asked, looking her over intently.

"What question?" Lyra asked, feigning confusion.

Tom quirked an eyebrow, watching as she squirmed under his gaze. There was nothing special about this girl, Tom realized. However much she had given him reason to suspect her, there was no reason to fear her. Almost effortlessly, he could see scenes from the night before float up from the back of her mind. Snippets of her life flashed before his mind's eye as he read her like a book: the carriage ride, the antechamber, Druella, the orange juice-

With a surge of anger that shocked even Tom, the door to her mind slammed shut and Tom was left staring into the mutinous brown eyes of Lyra Reed.

"Get the _hell_ out of my head, Tom Riddle." Lyra snarled, slamming her hands onto the table and leaning forward to glare at him with an intensity that Tom had only seen in himself.

Before Tom could blink, she had stood up, and was marching away from him as fast as she could; her long golden hair shiny against the black of her robes. Tom watched her go with a mixture of shock, anger, and suspicion. Perhaps, Tom thought grimly, she would prove to be a more complicated problem than he had previously believed.


	10. He can talk to snakes

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Lyra fled the Great Hall as fast as her legs would carry her; blind with rage. She had wanted to kill him - right then and there - and it had taken all of her strength to leave before she did anything too rash.

She could not believe the audacity of him. He had openly used Legilimency on her in the middle of the Great Hall, expecting what? That she'd cave and let him see whatever he wanted and then plead with him to keep her secrets? That she wouldn't be able to defend herself? That she would you just _take_ it?

Lyra dug her fingers into her hands, willing herself to calm down. The arrogance of Tom Riddle was unmatched; but even more infuriating, was the fact that she'd slipped. She'd let him in, if only for a moment, and it had almost cost her everything. She would have to be more careful in the future.

Without thinking, Lyra wound up at the doors to the courtyard and quickly ran down the steps; glad to be outside. She needed air and she needed to get away from everyone else so that she would be composed enough to go to Potions in an hour. To her surprise, her timetable had been sitting on her bedside table in the morning and she had briefly wondered why they had ever begun handing them out at breakfast instead.

Lyra stopped short when she realized she wasn't the only one in the courtyard. Elaina Selwyn was seated on a nearby windowsill, her nose in a book. Lyra hesitated, unsure how to address her grandmother.

"Your name is Elaina Selwyn...right?" Lyra asked, cautiously walking towards her; afraid she would be unhappy about being interrupted.

Elaina looked up, her eyes the same shade of blue Lyra remembered but with less vibrancy; less warmth. She nodded.

"My name's Lyra Reed. I don't think we really met properly yesterday." Lyra said.

Elaina folded her book and placed it in her lap. "No, we didn't. I did overhear the part of the conversation at dinner where you announced you were a blood traitor though." She said, something akin to a small smile on her lips.

"And what is your opinion on that?" Lyra asked impassively.

"I think you should have been placed in Gryffindor." Elaina replied and Lyra laughed. If only she knew how afraid Lyra was of things - she could never be a Gryffindor.

"But what is your opinion on blood traitors in general?" Lyra asked.

Elaina laughed, "Guess."

Lyra raised an eyebrow, "I think you are one?" She said, unsure. "But you hide it because it's easier to get by."

Elaina smiled mysteriously, "Good guess."

"Am I right?" Lyra asked, coming to sit next to her.

"What do you think?" Elaina asked, and Lyra sighed in exasperation, laughing.

"I think you're bloody infuriating." She said, laughing and Elaina gave a small smile.

The girls fell quiet for a moment and an idea popped into Lyra's head. Looking around furtively, to make sure they were alone, Lyra cast a silencing spell and then turned back to Elaina. Elaina raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What do you know about Tom Riddle?" Lyra asked, conspiratorially.

Elaina's eyes widened with interest, a curious look on her face, "What do you want to know?" She asked after a moment.

"Last night, I noticed how all the other Slytherins pay him a lot of respect...and I don't think it's just because he's Head Boy. Why is that?" Lyra asked, trying to sound as if she didn't already know.

Elaina was silent a moment, "Riddle is...unique." She said at last, "The other boys look up to him, not just because of his brilliance - and believe me, he is brilliant - but because of who he is."

"What do you mean?" Lyra asked, trying to hide how interested she was.

"He's charming and charismatic, as I'm sure you've noticed." Elaina paused, "But between you and me...I think what really makes the others look up to him is that they are utterly terrified of him."

Lyra felt a chill run through her and subconsciously ran her finger over the ring on her finger. Elaina looked down, staring at the ring, and Lyra felt a jolt of fear run through her. She didn't recognize the stone for what it was...did she?

"Why are they terrified of Riddle?" Lyra asked, both to distract Elaina and because she genuinely wanted to know if she had any dirt on him.

Elaina smiled darkly, "Did you know snakes can't feel emotion?" She asked, and Lyra nodded. "Well Riddle is a Parselmouth. He can _talk_ to snakes."

"You think he can't feel emotion?" Lyra asked, raising her eyebrows and trying to appear surprised.

"Well he can certainly feel anger and pride. I'm not so sure about the rest." Elaina replied.

"So he's a psychopath?" Lyra asked, and Elaina laughed.

"Well that's a Muggle term, but yes, I think it could be applied to him." She said, and Lyra bit her lip.

She was not surprised to hear this, but a part of her still didn't believe it. It was insane, to question it, knowing what she knew, but a small voice in the back of Lyra's mind refused to accept Tom's psychopathy at face value. It was almost as if diagnosing him with psychopathy was a cop-out; a way to explain away the evilness of what he had done. Lyra wanted to believe he was fully accountable; entirely guilty.

But there was something more. She had met him when he was just a child. Had the boy she had met that night, long ago, really been incapable of feeling? He had been so afraid she would leave with the stone and never come back. Even though Lyra knew it was the stone that had interested him, and not her, she had seen vulnerability in him. Did that mean anything? How could someone feel fear and anger but not love and happiness?

"What made you come to this conclusion?" Lyra asked, frowning.

Elaina hesitated, running the edge of her robes through her fingers, "Just a hunch." She said, and Lyra had the distinct impression she was lying.

"Right." Lyra replied, and the two slipped into silence.

"Do you have Potions at 9?" Lyra asked, to change the subject.

"Yes, you're in it as well?" Elaina asked.

"Yeah, we better get going then." Lyra said, glancing at her watch.

Elaina nodded, hoping off the windowsill and replacing her book in her bag.

"What's the Potions Professor like?" Lyra asked, just to make conversation as they walked down to the dungeons. She already knew Professor Slughorn quite well, having been part of his Slug Club...an experience she hoped to escape this time around.

"Professor Slughorn? He's the head of Slytherin house. Did you not meet him?" Elaina asked.

"No, this was kind of a rushed transition. In fact, when I met you on the train...I hadn't even applied to study here yet and I was just hoping they'd let me in." Lyra admitted and Elaina turned to look at her in surprise.

"You're kidding!" She exclaimed, "I-"

As they entered the Potions classroom, Elaina fell silent and Professor Slughorn looked up. "Good morning Miss Selwyn!" He boomed and Lyra smiled despite herself at the comfort of a familiar face. He was the same as she remembered, just slightly younger and slimmer.

"What was your name again, my dear? Reed, was it?" He asked, holding out a hand to Lyra.

"Yes. Lyra Reed, sir." Lyra replied, smiling genuinely up at him.

"Well then welcome, Miss Reed." He replied, "It is always great to see new additions to Slytherin house."

Lyra smiled, following Elaina to the back of the classroom and taking a seat next to her. Only a few Gryffindors and Ravenclaws had already arrived and Lyra wondered which of their fellow Slytherins would be joining them in Advanced Potions. She felt her stomach flip as she realized there was no way Tom was not in this class, being the genius that he was.

Sure enough, before she had even unpacked her bag, the future Lord Voldemort himself walked through the door; soliciting an even warmer welcome from Slughorn than her and Elaina had received.

"He loves him." Lyra remarked, leaning in to whisper to Elaina.

Elaina rolled her eyes, "They all do." She replied, "Except Dumbledore."

"Why not Dumbledore?" Lyra asked, despite being quite sure she already knew the answer.

"He's smarter?" Elaina said, laughing quietly.

Lyra snorted, laughing as well. Looking up she noticed Tom was walking straight towards her and felt her laughter die in her throat.

"Reed, I was wondering if I could possibly talk to you after class?" Tom said, smiling in his infuriatingly polite manner.

"Are you going to actually listen to what I have to say or are you just going to read my thoughts to get the information you need?" Lyra said waspishly, drawing a confused look from Elaina.

A look of regret and shame filled his face that was so convincing that Lyra would have believed it had she not known who he was.

"That was actually what I wanted to talk to you about," Tom said sheepishly, "I know that was completley unacceptable and if you let me, I'd like to explain myself. After class." He said, looking back at Professor Slughorn as if to indicate class was starting soon.

Lyra forced a tight lipped smile, "Alright, Riddle. I suppose it will be interesting to hear what sort of lie you come up with."

A flash of anger passed behind his eyes, and Lyra smirked.

"I hope to convince you otherwise." Tom said, his mask of polite regret back firmly in place, "Enjoy the lecture."

Lyra watched him walk over to where Abraxas Malfoy and Cygnus Black were seated, his back to her. Elaina waited until he was out of earshot before turning to Lyra.

"What was _that_ about?" She asked, eyes wide.

"He tried to use Legilimency on me at breakfast today." Lyra whispered and Elaina opened her mouth to respond when Rosalie entered the room.

"Lyra." She said, smiling at Lyra as took a seat next to her, all the while shooting Elaina wary glances.

"Hi." Lyra replied, "How did you sleep?"

"Like a rock." Rosalie replied, grinning, "It feels so good to be back at Hogwarts at last. Mother was driving me crazy this summer."

"How awful." Elaina sneered and Lyra realized that, quite unfortunately, she was trapped quite literally in between two girls who clearly had unresolved issues.

Rosalie shot Elaina dark look, but before she could give any scathing reply, Professor Slughorn began the lecture and Lyra felt she was now in his eternal debt.


	11. Conan Devlin

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! From this chapter on, the plot is going to start thickening ;) Enjoy!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Potions class passed rather uneventfully and Lyra was immensely relieved to find that she was still able to brew her potion correctly; despite having skipped a year of school. Of course, Elaina had helped, seeing as she had ended up as her partner after Rosalie had become fed up of bickering with Elaina and stalked off to partner up with a Ravenclaw girl.

Despite her best intentions, Lyra had been unable to stop shooting sideways glances at Tom. To her immense surprise, he had partnered up with a Gryffindor, who just happened to be the other new transfer student from Durmstrang. For some reason the image of the prince of Slytherin himself working with a Gryffindor just did not compute.

As the class drew to a close, Lyra felt the familiar surge of anger and discomfort she was beginning to associate with Tom. Saying goodbye to Elaina, Lyra walked over to where Tom and the Gryffindor boy were packing up their things.

"Ready, Riddle?" Lyra asked coldly, and Tom looked up at her.

"Yes, let's go." He said, picking up his potions textbooks and nodding goodbye to the Gryffindor.

"See you on Thursday, Riddle." The boy said, nodding at Lyra.

Lyra forced a smile before quickly turning her back on him, leading Tom out of the classroom and into the busy hallway.

"So." Lyra said, turning to face him once they were outside, "What do you want to talk about?" She asked dryly.

"Would you mind if we found a more...quiet place to talk?" Tom asked and Lyra shrugged.

"Okay, where?" She asked.

"Follow me." Tom replied, turning on his heel and leading her down the busy corridor, not bothering to check if Lyra was still following him.

Lyra paused, thinking of how satisfying it would be to just ditch him while he wasn't looking. But then again, she was never going to get any information about his quest for immortality if she avoided him. Sighing, Lyra ran to catch up to him, falling into step beside him.

"In here." Tom said, pulling open the door to an empty classroom and Lyra followed him in.

Tom locked the door behind her and Lyra turned to look at him quizzically; a shiver of fear running down her spine. "Think I'm going to try to escape, do you?"

"As a matter of fact," Tom replied dryly, "I was more concerned about others trying to come _in_ , but I see you really do not trust me at all. Why is that?"

Lyra laughed, "You invaded my mind over the breakfast table." She stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Really, you expect me to trust you after that?"

"Don't lie." Tom snapped, and Lyra stared up at him in shock. "You have disliked me since the moment we met. Why?"

Lyra felt her throat close in on herself; had she really been so obvious?

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Lyra replied, crossing her arms, "You were the only one - out of all those ridiculous purebloods - who was polite to me."

Tom was silent for a moment, a dangerous look in his eyes, "I see."

"You don't believe me." Lyra stated dryly.

Tom was silent for a moment, his dark eyes boring into hers. "No, I don't. However, I am prepared to give you the benefit of the doubt."

Lyra laughed darkly, "How generous of you, Riddle, to give me the benefit of the doubt when I have done _nothing wrong_." She replied scathingly.

Tom sighed, "I have little patience for this kind of-"

" _I_ have little patience for people who do not respect common boundaries and then justify their actions by means of false accusations!" Lyra cried, her anger boiling over. "What did you expect would happen? Did you think I would just allow you into my mind and then beg you to keep what you saw private? You're an arrogant fool, Tom Riddle!"

A look of pure hatred filled Tom's face for a moment before he composed himself and regarded Lyra coolly, "As I said earlier, I apologize for my actions. They were...unjustifiable."

"Wonderful." Lyra snapped, "I'm glad we're on the same page. Now would you _please_ let me out of this classroom?"

Tom looked up her and down for a moment, before pointing his wand at the door, unlocking the lock with a click.

Lyra pushed past him, pulling open the door and walking away from him without a look back.

* * *

Tom remained in the classroom for few minutes after Lyra had left, waiting for the fury she had evoked in him to pass. As nervous and uncomfortable as she seemed sometimes, it was clear that she was not afraid of him. In fact, she delighted in infuriating him; that much was obvious.

If anything, the events of that morning had done nothing but consolidate his belief that she was not to be trusted. Fear had been written all over her face when he had announced he knew she had disliked him from the beginning. Lyra Reed was harbouring secrets.

All throughout lunch and Ancient Runes, as Tom attempted to focus on the professor and on taking his own copious notes, the pale face of Lyra Reed resurfaced time and time again - a face so eerily familiar that it grated on Tom's nerves. By the time class had ended and it was time for dinner, Tom had formed a plan and he felt only smug satisfaction as he walked into the Great Hall and took a seat beside Eridanus Avery.

"Avery." Tom said, a satisfied smirk on his face.

"Riddle!" Eridanus cried, "Are we still-" The timid boy paused, looking around cautiously at the other students at the table.

"Are we still meeting tonight at the usual time?" Eridanus finished in a whisper, shooting a wary glance at Rosalie, who was eating dinner alone a few places down from them.

Tom felt a familiar flicker of annoyance at the boy's inability to be inconspicuous, "Did I give any indication that it would be otherwise?" Tom asked, his voice dangerous.

Eridanus looked fleetingly up into Tom's dark eyes and then looked down at his plate, "No, my Lord. I'm sorry, my Lord."

"How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that outside of meetings?" Tom snarled, genuinely annoyed now at the idiocy of the boy.

"I'm sorry, my- Riddle." Eridanus stuttered, his hands shaking as he quickly looked away and tried to pour himself some soup- a feat which proved to be quite difficult with shaking hands.

"Well look who's already in the doghouse?" Cygnus sneered, laughing as he and Abraxas settled into the seats across from Tom and Eridanus.

Eridanus looked up, blushing, "I am not-"

"Save it, Avery." Abraxas said, smirking, "One look at Riddle's face and we knew you'd already screwed up."

Cygnus laughed, causing Eridanus to glare at him, and Tom to turn his dark gaze on Cygnus.

"You're seem to be acting as if you were faultless, Black." Tom snapped, and Cygnus's laughter died in his throat. "I would not be so overconfident if I were you. If I remember correctly...you too have been less than perfect recently."

The smile on Cygnus's face evaporated and he nodded. Abraxas, for his part, became very interested in his food, refusing to look up to meet Tom's gaze.

 _Pathetic_ , Tom thought, disgusted. They were nothing more than cowards even if they did have slightly more intelligence than Avery. For the millionth time, Tom wondered whether he would be better off without them. Unfortunately, as much as he resented their company, Tom could not deny that having followers was useful.

"How was Herbology?" Tom heard Lyra ask and subtly turned his head to watch her take a seat next to Rosalie. He watched, a mild smirk forming on his face, as he saw Elaina refuse to sit next to Rosalie and inwardly laughed at the look of distress on Lyra's face when she was forced to choose between which of her new friends to sit with. She was inordinately distressed by being forced to choose, Tom realized; in fact, he'd never seen a Slytherin care so much about ensuring her friends' feelings were not hurt. The girl was peculiar indeed.

"So Tom." The syrupy voice of Druella Rosier said, jolting Tom from his thoughts. "I heard there's a rumour going around, that you have aspirations to be the future Minister for Magic. Is this true?"

Tom snapped his gaze away from Lyra to look at the inane girl in front of him. What an unfortunate waste of a human being, Tom thought absently as he looked the Rosier girl up and down.

"I don't answer to rumours, true or false." Tom replied.

"So it's true then?" Olive asked, batting her eyelashes and resting her chin on her hands. "You're just too modest to say it, but it's true, isn't it."

Tom's face twisted into an amused smirk; the girl thought he was modest...his acting skills really were as phenomenal as he'd hoped. "As I said, I don't answer to rumours." Tom replied cryptically.

"Oh come on, Tom!" Druella whined, "Just tell us. You can trust us, you know."

Tom resisted the urge to vomit at her syrupy tone and looked up in annoyance as Rosalie burst out laughing.

"Oh come on, Rosier." The redhead sneered, "You really think the oh-so-mysterious Tom Riddle is going to confide in you? You can hardly keep your mouth shut long enough to listen to anyone, let alone keep a secret."

"What do you know about-" Druella began, but Tom ignored her, glancing instead over at Lyra, who having decided to stay seated next to Rosalie was surveying the scene with mild interest. Feeling his gaze on her, Lyra looked up and their eyes met. He felt her hatred for him hit him like a physical slap in the face and forced himself to smile, despite the fury he felt running through his veins. Showing his anger would only please her; he would not give her that satisfaction.

"I'm afraid I really must get to the library before it closes." Tom said, breaking eye contact with Lyra and standing up despite the protests of Druella and Olive.

"You're _always_ at the library." Olive protested.

"Yes, well, if I am going to become Minister for Magic I need to study, do I not?" Tom snapped, leaving them to gasp and gossip about this new information as he made his escape.

Really, the stupidity of the human race never ceased to amaze him. It had taken relatively no effort at all to convince the entire population of Hogwarts that he was nothing more than a brilliant, charming, handsome young man, destined for greatness. Of course, Tom knew he was destined for greatness...just greatness of a different kind than that which his fellow students and professors were imagining.

Turning right, away from the library, Tom ascended the steps quickly, reaching the seventh floor in no time. Looking around first, to make sure no one was there, Tom began pacing in front of the wall across from the tapestry that hung on the wall.

 _I need a place to meet in private. I need a place to meet in private. I need a place to meet in private._

Like an answer to a prayer, a large wooden door materialized in front of him and Tom slipped inside the familiar room. As usual, the Room of Requirement had created for him and his gang a living room type environment, complete with couches and a fireplace. Tom walked over to the fire, warming his hands as he waited for the Knights of Walpurgis to arrive.

Minutes before the ornate clock the room had provided chimed eight, the door to the room opened to admit Cygnus, Abraxas and Eridanus. Tom looked up, disinterested, as the three boys found their way to their usual places on the couches. Tom drummed his fingers on the mantel of the fireplace, anxious to begin. He had much to accomplish this year.

A few moments later, the door opened again to admit Cepheus Lestrange and two sixth-year boys, Cetus Nott and Jeremiah Burke. Tom felt his chest tighten as the head of the overly-sociable Gryffindor who had insisted on becoming his partner in Potions appeared.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Tom snarled, stepping away from the fire to fix Cepheus with a look that would frighten children.

Cepheus met his eyes bravely, "He insisted, my Lord." He replied calmly, "He was already aware of our organization when I met him in the hallway tonight. I thought it best to bring him to you so that you might take the appropriate actions."

Still distrustful, Tom scanned Cepheus's face for any signs of dishonesty, finally turning to face the Gryffindor boy.

"How did you discover our group?" He asked the boy sharply, walking towards him.

True to his house, the Gryffindor boy smiled bravely at Tom, "I overheard them talking about it." He replied, pointing towards Cygnus and Abraxas, whose faces turned white.

"My Lord, I-" Cygnus began, but Tom held up a hand.

"Silence." He snapped, turning back to the Gryffindor. "And what did you hear, exactly?" Tom asked.

"All I heard was that the meeting was tonight and that the group was only composed of those with direct ties to the ancient pureblood families. I am a pureblood...my Lord...and with your permission, I would like to join this group." The boy finished, bowing his head respectfully.

Tom considered him for a moment, "It is highly unusual for a Gryffindor to want anything to do with the traditions and values of pureblood society, let alone actively seek out membership in a group comprised entirely of Slytherins." Tom said, and the Gryffindor boy nodded.

"Yes, my Lord. I am aware. However, it was only due to an unfortunate mistake that I was even placed in Gryffindor in the first place. You see, I was not aware of what each house represented when I arrived here. So, I had decided it would be good to ask a few students for their opinion on which house was best. I ended up sitting with two Ravenclaws and a Hufflepuff on the way here and they told me that the majority of the school thought that Gryffindor house was the best house of them all. Wanting to be in the best house, I insisted that the Sorting Hat place me there, despite its protests that I would be better off in Slytherin. So you see, I am not really a Gryffindor at all." The boy finished, and Tom examined him carefully.

"Conan Devlin." Tom said, "This is your name, correct?"

The Gryffindor boy nodded, "Yes, my Lord."

"Well then, Devlin. If you are to join this group, you must first prove that you are worthy."

"How so? My Lord." Conan asked.

Tom hesitated, looking around the room at the other Knights. His gaze falling on Cygnus and Abraxas, Tom smiled viciously.

"Black. Malfoy." Tom snapped, "Which of you do you think should pay for your indiscretion?"

Cygnus and Abraxas exchanged a terrified look and Cygnus stood up quickly, stumbling forward. "My Lord, it was Malfoy who began the conversation. He should be the one to pay."

Tom looked at Abraxas, "Is this true, do you believe you should be the one to bear the punishment for this infraction?

"I-I-I am sorry my Lord. Yes, my Lord, I will pay." Abraxas replied, bowing his head, his hands shaking from fear.

Tom wrinkled his nose in disgust at his weakness and turned to Cygnus, catching a smug look of triumph on his face before he had time to hide it. Tom felt a current of rage pass through him.

"Black." He snapped, on your knees."

Cygnus looked up at him in utter terror.

"What are you waiting for?" Tom snapped.

With trembling legs, Cygnus knelt down, looking up fleetingly at Tom.

"Now, Devlin." Tom said, turning to look at the Gryffindor, who was clearly trying not to betray his fear. "You want to be a Knight of Walpurgis?"

"Yes, my Lord." Conan replied, his voice wavering only a little.

"Do you know how to perform the Cruciatus Curse?" Tom asked, a hint of a smirk on his face.

At the mention of the curse, Conan's face went white and he nodded mutely.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Tom asked, stepping back and watching with an evil smirk as Conan slowly approached Cygnus.

His lip trembling, Cygnus looked up at Conan, pleadingly. If Conan felt any pity for him, he hid it well as he lifted his wand slowly and pointedt in Cygnus's face. A moment of silence fell over the room before Conan cried " _Crucio_ " and the room filled with blood curdling screams.

The other Knights covered their ears and after a moment, Tom came up beside Conan and nodded. At once, Conan lowered his wand and Cygnus gasped for breath, clutching his sides.

"Well done, Devlin." Tom said quietly, and Conan looked over at him, his breathing rapid.

"However," Tom said sharply, turning away from Conan to survey the room, "I cannot trust you yet."

"My Lord, what will it take, for you to trust me?" Conan asked, bowing his head.

Tom turned to him, a smirk twisting his handsome features.

"Have you heard of a girl named Lyra Reed?"


	12. A chamber of secrets

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

"Lyra, wake up!"

"She's going to be late for class..."

"Well who's fault is that for giving her a bloody sleeping potion?"

"It was hardly effective. Mother says it's only really good for four hours and after that-"

"Lyra?"

As her eyes fluttered open, Lyra stretched, her body exhausted after the events of the last few days. The concerned faces of Rosalie and Elaina peered down at her and Lyra absently wondered how they had managed to stand each other's company long enough to wake her up.

"What time is it?" Lyra groaned, sitting up and yawning.

"It's ten minutes to nine! You're going to be so late!" Rosalie cried, opening up Lyra's trunk at the foot of her bed and rummaging through it, throwing a pair of robes at Lyra before chucking her hairbrush and toothbrush at her too.

"Ah, Rose, stop!" Lyra cried, shielding herself from the flying objects. The nickname had been Rosalie's request, seeing as she was not a huge fan of her full name.

Jumping out of bed, Lyra quickly changed into her robes, pulled her brush through her hair until it didn't look too much like a bird's nest and quickly brushed her teeth in the bathroom, all to the tune of Rosalie and Elaina's urgent pleas for her to hurry up. Finishing five minutes before the start of class, the three girls made it to the Charms classroom with just a minute to spare.

Panting from their run, Lyra and her friends waved mutely to Professor Coultier, taking their seats at the back of the classroom next to Cepheus Lestrange.

"Where were you?" Lyra heard Cepheus whisper to Elaina, who only shushed him in reply, turning instead to listen as the lecture began.

Lyra felt her breathing slow as she took out her books and settled in, recovering from the rude awakening and stressful morning. She really had to get back into a normal sleeping pattern or it would begin to affect her ability to operate as a functional student, which would in turn affect her ability to investigate Tom.

Remembering the git, Lyra turned her head just enough to stare at him out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting over on the far side of the classroom, surrounded, as always, by his circle of "friends". After their argument at the end of Potions class, he had blissfully ignored her for the rest of the day, minus the time she had caught him staring at her at dinner.

"Seeing as this is a seventh-year course," Professor Coultier began, "We will be focusing mostly on improving your mastery of nonverbal spells. While some of you may already be quite comfortable with this, for others this may be a challenge."

Lyra felt her chest tighten as she realized that she would definitely be among those who would find this course challenging. Having skipped her sixth year almost entirely, she had very little experience with non-verbal spells. As the students began to break up into groups, Lyra felt her stomach flip flop as Rosalie turned to her, asking if she would like to be partners seeing as Elaina was certain to pair up with Cepheus.

"I have no idea what I'm doing." Lyra whispered to Rosalie, looking around the classroom as students began practicing nonverbal summoning spells.

"Come on, your parents never taught you nonverbal spells? No wonder homeschooling is illegal." Rosalie remarked and Lyra rolled her eyes, feeling a spark of annoyance.

"Did you know I'm only sixteen?" Lyra asked, forgetting to be cautious in her moment of irritation. "And yet, I was placed in seventh year? That is because my parents taught me everything a year above my grade level."

Rosalie gaped at her, "You're a year younger? Why didn't you tell us before?"

"Well my birthday is in early January so technically I am practically as old as those born near the end of the year." Lyra replied, subconsciously glancing over at Tom. In the many years she had spent reading everything she could find about the boy who had visited her in her grandmother's basement, she had discovered along the way that he had been born on New Year's Eve. It had always seemed strange to her that such a monster had been born on a day full of so much celebration.

"Also, please don't tell anyone." Lyra begged, beginning to regret having revealed a shred of the truth.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Why would I? And why do you care?"

Lyra shrugged, looking down at her charms textbook to avoid Rosalie's piercing gaze. "Okay, let's try this." Lyra said, bringing their attention back to the charms exercise at hand and away from the questions she did not want to answer.

Rosalie fixed her curiously for a moment before standing up, picking up the soft ball the professor had given them to practice their nonverbal summoning spells with. "Okay, you go first." She said, holding the ball loosely in the palm of her hand.

Lyra stood up as well, pointing her wand at the ball.

 _Accio, ball_ , Lyra thought, and nothing happened. _Accio, ball_ , she tried again - still to no avail.

"Are you thinking about anything else?" Rosalie asked, "Sometimes when your thoughts are muddled it's harder."

Lyra nodded, staring straight at the ball, trying to push all other bothersome thoughts from her mind. _Accio, ball!_ Lyra screamed internally, and to her joy the ball flew out of Rosalie's hand, quick as lightning, hitting Lyra in the chest as she tried and failed to catch it.

"Woo!" Rosalie cried, and Lyra grinned in relief, repositioning the ball in her own palm so that Rosalie could summon it.

To Lyra's surprise, it took Rosalie a few attempts to summon the ball as well; making Lyra feel as if maybe she would not be so behind in this class after all. As class ended, Lyra realized she was not certain either of her two friends were in her next class, Care of Magical Creatures.

"What do you have next?" Lyra asked Elaina as she returned to her seat, packing her bag to leave.

"Muggle Studies." Elaina replied, prompting Cepheus to snort from behind her.

"Problem, Lestrange?" Rosalie snapped, and Lyra, half expecting Elaina to show some sort of appreciation for Rosalie's support only gave the redheaded girl a cool look, slipping her bag over her shoulder and heading for the door. For the millionth time, Lyra wondered what could have possible happened between the two girls to cause such a rupture in their friendship.

"I'll see you later, Rose," Lyra muttered, turning to quickly run after her grandmother. Catching up to her, Lyra fell into step beside her.

"Do you know where Care of Magical Creatures is held?" Lyra asked, genuinely unsure of where the class would be taking place in this time period.

"Oh right," Elaina said, "Here, come, I'll show you."

Lyra followed her as they quickly descended flight after flight of stairs. Unsure of how to broach the topic of Rosalie, Lyra hesitated, her fingers fumbling with the hem of her robes as she struggled to find the right words.

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to...but what happened between you and Rose?" Lyra asked, feeling her face flush.

Elaina was silent a moment, her face stony, "I don't think it's fair to her, for me to tell you." She replied at last. "If you want to know, ask her."

Lyra nodded, "You're okay if I do ask?"

Elaina snorted, "Why would I care? It's Rose who has the most to lose."

Lyra was silent a moment, wondering what it could possibly be that Rosalie had done. As they reached the front doors leading to the castle grounds, Elaina stopped, pointing at a shack far in the distance.

"The classes are held over by that shack." She said, and Lyra felt a jolt of surprise. Could that be Hagrid's cabin? Already?

"What's in that shack?" Lyra asked, trying to sound nonchalant, "Does someone live there?"

Elaina's face darkened, "You don't know what happened last year, do you?"

 _The Chamber of Secrets_ , Lyra realized, feeling a chill run through her body. She knew Tom had framed Hagrid for it; or at least that was one of the many rumours that had circulated the school that year after Ginny Weasley had opened the Chamber under the influence of Voldemort. Did this mean Hagrid was already expelled?

"No, what happened?" Lyra asked, trying to hide the growing discomfort inside her.

"A girl died." Elaina replied, "She was killed by an Accromantula a boy named Hagrid had brought into the school. Hagrid was expelled, but since he's an orphan, Dumbledore let him stay on as gamekeeper."

Lyra felt a rush of indignation and pity for Hagrid; his life was just one more of the many ruined by Voldemort. "He was a student?" Lyra asked, trying to hide the anger she felt.

Elaina nodded, "He's a sweet boy; only 14 years old. It was an accident." She said sadly and Lyra nodded, shivering despite the warmth of the sun.

"Okay, well I'll see you later." Lyra said, descending the steps and waving goodbye.

Hagrid could be a good place to start her investigation, Lyra realized. From what she had heard, he had always known he was innocent. Was it possible he knew Tom had been behind it all along?

Lost in her thoughts, Lyra jumped as a voice behind her called out to her.

"Hey! You're Lyra Reed, right? The other transfer student?" A boy's voice called, and Lyra turned around to see the Gryffindor transfer student who had partnered with Tom in Potions class.

Lyra forced a smile, pushing her dark thoughts away to the corner of her mind for now. "Yes. You're the transfer student from Durmstrang, right?"

The brown-haired boy smiled, his blue eyes looking almost transparent in the sunlight, and nodded. "Nice to meet you, I'm Conan Devlin."

Lyra shook his hand, feeling more at ease with him than she had with most of her fellow Slytherins. It was nice to have a break from the cold-blooded, Lyra realized.

"Nice to meet you." Lyra replied, "Why did you decide to transfer here?" She asked, and Conan shrugged.

"I didn't really like Durmstrang. I found it focused too much on the Dark Arts and the students there were...well I'd say most of them would have requested to be placed in Slytherin house." Conan explained, before blushing red, "Not that there's anything _wrong_ with Slytherin house, I just-"

Lyra laughed, "Don't worry, I know what you mean." She assured him, never having been too fond of Slytherin house as a whole, herself...despite now being part of it.

Conan laughed as well, "You really don't seem like the other Slytherins. I partnered up with a boy named Tom Riddle in Potions the other day and, I mean he was polite and everything but...I couldn't help feeling like it was an act."

Lyra felt her stomach flip and she stopped in her tracks, "Why did you think it was an act?" She asked.

Conan shrugged, "He was just... _too_ perfect. I didn't feel any genuine warmth from him, though. His mannerisms, his speech, everything...it was so _practised_."

Lyra nodded, "I know what you mean. I see it too." She said, continuing their walk towards Hagrid's hut.

"You do?" Conan asked, surprised, "I thought everyone loved him...I mean, even some of the other Gryffindors like him. That means a lot, considering he's a Slytherin."

"Dumbledore doesn't like him." Lyra replied, and Conan raised his eyebrows. "Well, that's what I heard anyway." She added.

"Why did you transfer here?" Conan asked, changing the subject abruptly, and Lyra mentally cringed. She would have to endure another round of "oh I'm sorry poor you"; something which only made her feel worse.

"My parents were killed by Grindelwald." Lyra explained, "I'd been homeschooled until then so, naturally, I had to find some way to continue my education."

Conan was silent for a moment, his face darkening, "My sister was also killed by Grindelwald." He said quietly after a moment.

Lyra felt her heart stop and she turned to stare at the boy next to her. "When?" She asked.

"This summer." He replied. "You?"

"Last week." Lyra replied and Conan's eyes widened in shock.

"You're so well put-together, I mean, you're so..." He began, and Lyra shook her head.

"No, I'm not." She finished for him. "But what else can I do but carry on."

Conan nodded, "I know how you feel."

"I know." Lyra replied, smiling softly and feeling a strange sense of relief at finally having someone who could really understand how she felt.

The pair fell silent as they approach the small gathering of students milling around and talking with one another near Hagrid's hut. Lyra craned her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of Hagrid, finally spotting an exceedingly large boy walking towards the class with a tall man covered with scars and burn marks on every visible part of his body.

Lyra and Conan exchanged looks of surprise, "You don't think...those scars are from the animals he works with?" Lyra asked, never having had anyone who was fully human teach her Care of Magical Creatures class.

"That's nothing." Conan said shrugging, "Our Magical Creatures professor back at Durmstrang lost an arm and a leg - quite literally - to a dragon once."

Lyra turned to stare at him in shock, about to open her mouth to respond when the professor began speaking.

"It's wonderful to see so many seventh-years still interested in this class!" The professor said, beaming. "My name is Professor Kettleburn for those of you who are new." Professor Kettleburn said, smiling directly at Lyra and Conan, who smiled in return.

"Now since this is your last year at Hogwarts, I've decided to give you all a challenge." Kettleburn said, grinning somewhat maniacally. "If you would all follow me, I'll introduce you to your new companions for the year."

Lyra shot Conan a confused look out of the corner of her eye as they walked around the side of Hagrid's cabin, finding themselves face to face with a large cage containing at least a dozen hedgehogs. Lyra frowned in confusion.

"Can anyone tell me what this creature is called?" Kettleburn asked and, unsurprisingly, a Ravenclaw girl raised her hand.

"They're knarls, sir." The girl said.

"Correct!" Kettleburn exclaimed, "Five points to Ravenclaw. While these creatures may look like hedgehogs they are certainly _not_ hedgehogs. Can anyone tell me how we can tell the difference between a knarl and a hedgehog?"

Once again, the same Ravenclaw girl raised her hand, "When you leave food out for a hedgehog, they will eat it. However, if you leave food out for a knarl, they will think it is a trap and destroy your garden." The girl replied.

"Excellent!" Kettleburn said, beaming. "This information will come in handy for you all very soon seeing as your project for the term is to care for a knarl."

Lyra felt a sudden swirl of excitement and panic fill her all at once. She loved animals and had always had a cat at home; however, how was she supposed to care for an animal and still complete her mission? Biting her tongue, Lyra glanced at Conan who was beaming; clearly he thought the assignment was wonderful.

"Alright, line up here to receive your knarls. I'll give you all a little while to get used to them and then we'll convene over by the gardens to talk about how to care for them." Professor Kettleburn said, and Lyra fell into line behind Conan, still very uncertain about the whole thing.

"Isn't this the best class?" Conan asked excitedly, turning around to grin wildly at Lyra.

Lyra gave an uneasy laugh, "I think they're very cute but...I'm slightly terrified to be honest."

Conan shrugged, "What could go wrong? I've heard they're very docile unless they smell food."

"But where are we keeping them? In our dorms?" Lyra asked, incredulous.

"Sure, why not? Where else would they stay?" Conan replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world to have a wild animal in one's bedroom.

As they reached the front of the line, Conan bent down, holding out his hands for one of the knarls. A rather large one immediately ran towards him, sniffing him curiously.

"Hey buddy." Conan said, picking the animal up and showing it to Lyra. "Meet Lyra."

Lyra tentatively held out a hand, letting the animal smell her before carefully petting its back. Looking back towards the cage, Lyra noticed a small knarl, sitting all alone in the corner of the cage and felt her heart break at its expression of fear. Crouching down, Lyra slowly crept forward, kneeling down in front of the small animal.

"Hey there," she said softly, holding out a hand for it to sniff. "How are you?"

The knarl only retreated further into the cage until its back was pressed up against the metal wire.

"It's okay, we're going to be friends." Lyra said, remaining still until the knarl finally got up the courage to give her hand a little sniff.

Looking up at Lyra uncertainly, the knarl began sniffing the rest of Lyra's hand, finally tentatively placing one paw and then another on her hand and Lyra smiled.

"See, I won't hurt you." She said, gently petting the knarl's back.

As the knarl became more comfortable, Lyra figured it was finally safe to pick it up, cradling the little animal in her arms as they walked back out of the cage.

"Yours is miniscule!" Conan exclaimed, comparing his own knarl to hers.

Lyra felt the tiny creature vibrate in fear at the sound of Conan's voice and she stroked it reassuringly. "Yeah." She said, feeling a surge of affection for her new pet.

"How do we tell if it's a female or male?" Lyra asked as Kettleburn called them over to the gardens for their first lesson on caring for the knarls.

"I heard the males are darker than the females." Conan replied, "Yours is probably female then; she's practically white."

"Yours is definitely male." Lyra said, looking down at the dark-brown knarl in his arms.

As they reached the gardens, Kettleburn urged them all to have a seat and Lyra purposefully led Conan over near to where Hagrid was standing, sitting down on the grass near his feet.

Lyra soon discovered this was a mistake; having an incredibly difficult time concentrating on the professor's very important instructions rather than on Hagrid, Tom Riddle, and the Chamber of Secrets. As class finally finished, Lyra took her time gathering up her things, allowing her knarl to play a little bit in the grass, so as to allow most of the students to leave before going to speak to Hagrid.

"Are you coming?" Conan asked, as he finished packing his bag.

"You on ahead, I've got some questions for the professor so I might be a while. I'll see you around though, I'm sure." Lyra replied, smiling up at him.

Conan nodded, "Alright then, see you!"

Lyra waved goodbye, picking up her knarl and making her way over to Hagrid as the last of the students turned to leave.

"I'm sorry to bother you." Lyra said, as she approached the giant boy, "I just had a quick question about my knarl."

"Ar, not ter worry," Hagrid said, shuffling his big feet to come closer to Lyra, "Wha's the pro'lem?"

Lyra looked around nervously, "Would you, um, mind, if we, um, went somewhere more private? I'm kind of embarrassed."

Hagrid's great big bushy eyebrows rose up in surprise, "Fer sure! C'mon inter me hut." He said, waving her over as he began to walk towards his small home.

Lyra followed behind him, feeling her heart beat rapidly against her chest. Hagrid held the door open for her and Lyra thanked him, following him into the dimly hit hut.

"Would yeh like some tea?" Hagrid asked and Lyra nodded.

"Sure, thank you." She said, placing her knarl on the ground so that she could run free. "Do you want help making it?"

"No, no," Hagrid said dismissively, "Yeh jus' make yerself comfortable."

"Do you live here?" Lyra asked, looking around as if she had never been inside the hut before.

"Yeah, this 's me home." He replied, rather cheerfully for someone who had just been expelled only a few months ago.

"It's beautiful." Lyra said, genuinely. She had always loved the rustic feeling of Hagrid's cabin. "How long have you been gamekeeper? You look so young, as if you're almost still young enough to be a student here!"

At this, Hagrid stiffened up, "Yer a transfer student, huh?" He asked, turning back to retake his seat at the table with her while the kettle boiled.

"Yup." Lyra replied, pretending to not have noticed his sudden change in demeanor.

"I've bin the gamekeeper here since las' year." Hagrid said, "I was expelled yeh see, las' year, fer lettin' 'n acromantula loose in the school."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that!" Lyra replied, wishing she could convey just _how_ sorry she really was.

Hagrid shrugged, "I's fine. Dumbledore's 'llowed me ter stay here. Tha's all tha' really matters."

Lyra paused for a moment, pretending to be deep in thought, "Wait a moment, the acromantula...was it the creature that killed the girl? Myrtle, I think her name was? I heard Tom talking about it the other day, about how the creature came out of some sort of...chamber?"

Hagrid's face went pale at the mention of Tom's name and Lyra did not miss his eyes flicker down to the Slytherin crest on her robes, making Lyra wish she was back in her Hufflepuff robes.

"Tom Riddle, yeh mean?" Hagrid asked, "Wha' was 'e sayin' 'bout it all?"

"Just that there was a creature that came from a chamber of...what was it he called it...oh, a chamber of secrets! That was it. He said someone opened a chamber of secrets and let out a monster that killed a girl." Lyra said.

Hagrid shook his head, "I didn' get' 'im from any kind o' chamber though, I got 'im from the fores'" He protested, tears beginning to well up in his eyes, "Riddle told 'em Aragog was the monster but t'wasn't 'im! 'E told me 'imself and Aragog neva lies."

Lyra felt her fingers start to shake and resisted the urge to tell Hagrid the whole, unvarnished truth. Doing so would be the end of her mission though...she couldn't let that happen. Besides, what proof did she have, other than her word, that Tom Riddle was really to blame?

"I believe you." Lyra said softly, "Does Dumbledore know this? Has he spoken to Aragog?"

Hagrid shook his head, "As soon as dey found out 'bout 'im, I sent 'im off ter live in the fores'. Dumbledore neva got a chance. I told 'im though. I told 'im Aragog weren't ter blame."

"And did he believe you?" Lyra asked, and Hagrid nodded.

"Dumbledore's the bes' man alive. 'E fought fer me 'n Aragog, but Dippet neva believed 'im." Hagrid said, the affection he held for Dumbledore apparent in his voice.

"Maybe," Lyra said, "If we can get Aragog to testify, we can prove your innocence?"

Sadly, Hagrid shook his head, "I 'ready asked Dumbledore 'bout tha'. 'E says there's no way Dippet'll believe the word o' a spider."

Lyra nodded, thinking for a moment. "Maybe there's another way." She said after a moment, "Maybe I can prove your innocence...but first, I'll need all the details.

For the second time since the beginning of their meeting, Hagrid's bushy eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Fer real?"

Lyra nodded, "For real."


	13. Why is it that he hates you?

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

When Lyra finally slipped into her room that night, she was not surprised to find all of her roommates already inside.

"Reed." Olive snapped, the moment she entered the room, "There's something under your bed making some freaking WEIRD sounds and you better find out what it is or I'm not sleeping here tonight."

"Oh." Lyra said, realizing she had completely forgotten to warn her roommates about her knarl, whom she had decided to name Button.

Crossing the room, Lyra quickly bent under her bed, undoing the protective spell her had placed around it so that Button wouldn't be able to get out and scooped Button up into her arms.

"This is Button." Lyra said, showing her knarl to her shocked roommates, "For Care of Magical Creatures we have to take care of a knarl for an entire year."

"You're bringing that _thing_ into our room for the entire _year_?!" Druella screeched, and Lyra crossed her arms protectively over Button.

"I have to!" Lyra protested, "And besides, Hogwarts allows pets."

"Are you sure a dorm room is the best place for a wild animal though?" Rosalie asked, looking skeptical.

"Well I can't leave her outside, she could wander off and I'd never find her again." Lyra argued, "Besides, knarls are completely harmless as long as you don't leave any food out."

"What happens when you leave food out?" Elaina asked.

"She'll go beserk so _please_ don't bring any food into this room _ever_." Lyra pleaded.

"So you mean we can't bring food into our own dorms because of your stupid pet!?" Druella asked, "This is completely ridiculous!"

"Well then go talk to Professor Kettleburn." Lyra snapped, "For now, she stays, and if you touch her I will kill you."

Druella snorted, "No need to be so dramatic, Reed."

"There's no food in the room right now...right?" Lyra asked and all her roommates shook her heads. "Okay good. I'm going to let her go free then."

"YOU'RE GOING TO LET HER GO FREE!?" Olive screeched, jumping up on her bed, and tucking her feet under her in fear.

Lyra laughed, "It's okay she's shy. She probably won't even come near you."

"I'm bringing this up with Headmaster Dippet tomorrow." Olive snapped, drawing her curtains around her bed.

* * *

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Lyra awoke with a start to the sound of a blood curdling scream coming from somewhere outside of her four poster bed. Drawing back her curtains and quickly flicking on the light, Lyra's eyes widened in shock at the sight in front of her.

"GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF, GET IT OFFFFF!" Olive screamed, roughly pushing Button away from her, her face covered in some sort of liquid.

"YOUR FREAKING THING JUST PEED ON ME!" Olive screeched, and Lyra clasped her hand over her mouth as she choked on her own laughter.

Having woken up as well, Rosalie and Druella burst out laughing, and Olive sat up indignantly, her eyes closed so as not to get any urine in her eyes.

"It's not FUNNY!" She screeched, only provoking more howls of laughter.

Trying to stop laughing herself, Lyra jumped up, grabbing onto Olive's outstretched hand, pulling her blindly towards the bathroom.

Jumping out of bed, Rosalie, Elaina, and Druella hurried along excitedly behind them, crowding around the door to the bathroom as Lyra sat Olive down on the edge of the bathtub and grabbed the shower hose.

"Just keep your eyes closed." Lyra said, in between gasps of laughter.

"What- what are you doing!?" Olive cried before Lyra blast her in the face with warm water, almost making her lose her balance on the edge of the bathtub.

"Clearly the knarl heard what you said about her last night." Rosalie taunted, "Serves you right for being such a-"

"Shut up Prewett!" Olive screeched, standing up as Lyra turned off the tap. "Now get out! All of you! I need to shower." Olive snapped, finally able to open her eyes.

Lyra pushed her roommates out of the bathroom and Olive slammed the door behind them, prompting another round of laughter from Rosalie and Druella. Lyra glanced at the clock on Elaina's bedside table, realizing it was already 6:30 am. There was no point in going back to sleep now. Turning to prepare for school, Lyra's mouth fell open in shock as she finally noticed the state of their room.

Everything around Olive's bed had been destroyed. Her curtains were hanging in shreds, her blankets covered in scratch marks, at the foot of her bed, her backpack lay shredded, her books bitten into.

"Merlin." Rosalie breathed as she noticed the mess.

"I thought you said knarls only go crazy if there's food in the room!?" Druella asked sharply, turning to glare at Lyra.

Lyra frowned in confusion, "I don't know-"

"I do." Elaina said, bending down to pull something out of Olive's bag. "Chocolates from Abraxas. Look there's even a note: _Dear Olive, roses are red, violets are blue, and olives wear green, just like you_." Elaina read, wrinkling her nose up in disgust, "Ugh, that is terrible."

Rosalie burst out laughing, "Oh I am SO going to give him hell about this."

* * *

The rest of the morning was a pleasant mix of yelling, death threats, and meetings with Professor Kettleburn and Headmaster Dippet as Olive tried her best to either get Button removed from the room or, even better, have Lyra expelled. Luckily for Lyra, both the professor and headmaster agreed it was due to Olive's own irresponsibility that her things had been destroyed and that Lyra was allowed to keep her knarl.

As they left the headmaster's office to go to their transfiguration lesson that had already started fifteen minutes ago, Lyra couldn't help but feel bad for her roommate; despite disliking her immensely.

"You can have my book." Lyra said, offering her intact Transfiguration book to Olive.

Olive looked over at her, her eyes shooting daggers. "Great." She sneered, grabbing the book out of her hands and shoving her own tattered book back into Lyra's arms.

Lyra snorted, flipping through the papers that were so chewed up sometimes entire paragraphs were missing. As they finally arrived at the Transfiguration classroom, Lyra pushed open the door, only to find the entire class turn to look at them.

"Ah, Ms. Reed, Ms. Hornby. I'm so glad you could join us." Professor Dumbledore said, turning to smile at them as they entered the classroom.

Lyra blushed beet-red, glancing over at Olive, "I'm sorry we...well it's a long story."

From their seats at the back of the class, Lyra heard her roommates burst out laughing and couldn't help but suppress a laugh as well.

"Well from what I can gather, it seems as if it is a memorable story." Dumbledore remarked, an amused look on his face.

At this, Druella let out a howl of laughter that prompted the rest of the Slytherin girls to burst out laughing once again. Her face flushed with embarrassment, Olive quickly made her way over to Druella, hitting her friend on the arm for laughing. Even Lyra herself couldn't help but laugh, however, as she shuffled awkwardly between the rows of seated students. Sliding into the only free seat in the classroom - which happened to be between Tom and Eridanus - Lyra pulled out what remained of Olive's textbook.

"What happened...?" Eridanus asked, and Lyra laughed, showing him the bitemarks on the textbook.

"Oh, you know," Lyra replied, "I got hungry."

Eridanus looked at her in confusion and Lyra laughed, noticing Tom smirking amusedly out of the corner of her eye.

"Riddle, you wouldn't mind sharing your book with Ms Reed, would you?" Dumbledore asked, and Lyra turned to see the smirk fade from Tom's face as he looked at the older man.

"No, of course not." Tom replied politely, forcing a tight-lipped smile as he pushed his perfectly new and shiny book towards Lyra.

Lyra felt her own good mood sour as she felt hatred practically radiating off Tom.

As the giggling finally began to subside, Dumbledore finished his overview of how it was they were supposed to transfigure each other's hands into paws; a stepping stone in learning how to perform complete human transfiguration.

Lyra turned to Eridanus, intent of partnering with him, only to find he was already talking to a Ravenclaw girl; blushing wildly. Frantically, Lyra looked back at her roommates, only to find that - surprisingly - Elaina and Rosalie had partnered up and Druella and Olive were together as usual.

"Unfortunately, it looks like you will be forced to partner with me." Tom said dryly, and Lyra sighed, turning to fix him darkly.

"Wonderful." Lyra breathed, sarcastically.

"You should be grateful," Tom sneered, "It is quite likely Avery will find a way to completely mangle that girl's hand."

Lyra looked back at Eridanus, worried he had heard Tom, only to find the sandy-haired boy was completely engrossed in conversation with the Ravenclaw girl in front of him.

"I thought Avery was your friend." Lyra snapped.

"He is." Tom replied simply.

"Then why do you despise him so much?" Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tom examined her face for a moment, his lip curling slightly in disgust. "I don't _despise_ him."

"Okay, well maybe that's not the right word. Why do you _disrespect_ him?" Lyra tried again, and Tom laughed.

"Do you respect him?" He sneered.

"Not really." Lyra said after a moment, "But then again...he's not my friend."

Tom raised an eyebrow and stared at her for a moment, "What is it you want, Reed?" He asked viciously.

Lyra ignored him, pulling his textbook towards her and peering down at the transfiguration instructions.

"Get your own book." Tom snapped, pulling the book towards him just as Dumbledore happened to be nearby.

"Riddle." Dumbledore snapped in a tone of voice Lyra had never heard him use before, and Lyra saw Tom visibly recoil.

"I was under the impression that you had graciously given Ms. Reed permission to share your textbook. Was this not the agreement?" Dumbledore asked, loudly; drawing looks from the surrounding students.

Lyra looked from Dumbledore to Tom and back again; physically _feeling_ the tension in the air. Tom's face was drawn and tense, but he forced a smile nonetheless.

"Of course." Tom replied, his polite voice just slightly strained, "I am more than happy to share my textbook with Reed."

Dumbledore fixed him with a piercing look, his blue eyes colder than Lyra had ever seen them. After a moment, he turned away, and one by one, the other students went back to practicing their spells. Tom remained motionless, his jaw clenched and his eyes mutinous.

"Wow." Lyra breathed, "He really hates you."

Tom turned to glare at her, his dark eyes shooting daggers.

"Why is it that he hates you?" Lyra speculated aloud, relishing in the fury her words evoked in the boy who had ruined her life, "Can he see through your fake disguise? Does he understand your true nature?"

"Give me your hand." Tom snapped, and Lyra felt her amusement turn to fear as, for just a millisecond, she could have sworn his eyes flashed red. Lyra remembered the murderous, red eyes of Voldemort, staring up at her from the books she had read on his life and the first wizarding war. While she had never seen them in person, the photographs had given her chills nonetheless.

"Riddle." Lyra said abruptly, hiding her hands behind her back where he couldn't reach them, "Your eyes."

"What are you talking about?" Tom snapped venomously.

"Your eyes...just for a moment...they were red." Lyra breathed, and Tom frowned in confusion and annoyance.

"What kind of pathetic joke are you trying to pull, Reed?" He snarled, "If you are really intent on doing everything _but_ the exercise we are supposed to do, I will find a new partner."

Lyra stared at him in shock; he really didn't know. He didn't know his eyes would one day turn red...and actually, now that she thought about it, Lyra had no idea why they _did_ turn red. She had no idea why he went bald, lost his nose, became white as snow...in fact, she had never once come across a book which _had_ known. She had always assumed it had something to do with his supposed attainment of immortality but what exactly he had _done_ to himself, she had no idea. Were the red flashes in his eyes proof he had already begun the path towards immortality?

"Reed!" Tom snapped, and Lyra shook her head, coming back to her senses.

"Right." Lyra muttered, hesitantly holding out her hand, against her better judgment.

Tom curled his lip in disgust and Lyra was reminded of how much his younger self had disliked even the slightest physical contact.

"Don't worry, I washed my hands today." Lyra said, mentally slapping herself for making such a lame joke; she had truly lost all sanity.

Tom ignored her, grabbing her wrist roughly and pulling it forward. As Tom began the spell, Lyra watched as her fingers shortened and widened, fur growing on them as if she were a cat or dog. Lyra stared in shock, turning her hand (which now looked like a paw) over and over.

"You did it perfectly on the first try." Lyra breathed, genuinely impressed, and Tom merely glared at her, transfiguring her hand back into its human shape.

"Okay, let me try." Lyra said, holding out her hand for his own hand.

Tom hesitated, "Are you sure you know how to do the spell?" He asked, rather arrogantly.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Well that's what I'm trying to learn, isn't I?" She bit back scathingly.

Begrudgingly, Tom lifted his hand and Lyra took it, feeling a shiver run through her. This is the hand of Voldemort, Lyra thought to herself. I am holding hands with Voldemort...kind of.

"Remember to flick your wand upwards at the last possible moment." Tom reminded her, and Lyra gave him a withering look.

"I'm not an idiot." She snapped.

"Could have fooled me." Tom muttered under his breath and Lyra glared at him.

Pushing away her annoyance so that she could focus on the task at hand, Lyra pointed her wand at Tom's hand. For a moment nothing happened, before tiny wisps of fur began growing all over his hand until it was as furry as an animal's but still in the shape of a human hand.

Tom let out a sigh of exasperation, "Did I not just _tell_ you to flick your wand upwards at the end? You don't listen."

"I did! I did flick it upwards." Lyra protested, and Tom rolled his eyes.

"You didn't do it properly. Look." He said, holding up his own wand and mimicking the movement.

"That's what I did!" Lyra cried, genuinely confused.

" _No_ , you did this." Tom snapped, demonstrating for her what looked like the exact same movement as before.

"That looks the same." Lyra said and Tom drew in a sharp inhale of breath in frustration.

"Look. I am going to slow it down for you." He said, arrogantly, "This", he said, making a movement with his wand, "is what you did. But this..." Tom continued, making another movement with his wand, "is the right way. The tip of the wand goes up farther compared with the base of the wand."

"Wait." Lyra said, trying to suppress her annoyance so that she could benefit from the usual tips he was giving her, "Like this?" She said, trying the movement again.

" _Yes_." Tom said, "You finally understand."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Oh shut up." She snapped, grabbing his furry hand and performing the spell again. To her immense relief, the fingers shrunk and widened; the hand turning completely into a paw.

"Woah, it worked!" Lyra cried, forgetting to hate him momentarily in her moment of elation.

Tom made no reply, turning his own hand back into a hand and turning away from her to rifle through his textbook. Lyra hummed, unsure what to do with herself as the other students around them continued to attempt the spell.

"You have both succeeded in mastering the spell already?" The calm voice of Dumbledore asked, from behind them.

Lyra whipped around in her chair to look up at the younger version of the man she had known for so long, "Yes, sir."

"Well then, let's see it!" Professor Dumbledore said, beaming at Lyra, who smiled uncertainly.

Lyra glanced sideways at Tom who had gone back to wearing his mask of politeness. "Alright, sure." Lyra said, exchanging a look with Tom. "You want to go first?"

Tom nodded, just as Dumbledore turned to the class as a whole. "If I could have your attention students, Ms. Reed and Mr. Riddle here are going to demonstrate this week's transfiguration for us. Be sure to watch the movements of their wands very carefully and listen to the intonation they use when casting the spell. If you can't see, don't be afraid to come closer!"

Lyra felt her throat close in on her and she felt her hand shake as she handed it to Tom. Noticing the shaking, Tom raised an eyebrow at her, just the slightest hint of a malicious smirk on his face.

 _He's hoping I mess it up_ , Lyra realized, inwardly cursing him. Her anger only mounted as he performed the spell perfectly on the first try and smirked as the class applauded.

 _He really likes praise_ , Lyra realized, filing this fact away for later. Of course, it shouldn't come as any surprise, seeing as he did give himself the title of _Lord_.

Steeling herself, Lyra took Tom's hand into her own, ignoring his smug face that seemed to be already predicting her failure. Blocking out everything else from her mind, similarly to the way her mother had taught her for Occlumency, Lyra concentrated only on Tom's hand, performing the spell with utmost concentration.

Lyra let out a sigh of relief as his hand turned into a paw, a smile spreading on her face despite herself as Dumbledore congratulated her and the class clapped. Glancing up at Tom, Lyra saw a hint of annoyance hidden behind his perfect mask, and smirked at him. _Take that you arrogant prick_ , Lyra thought viciously.


	14. The resurrection stone

**All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Lyra had been pouring over books about the foundation of Hogwarts and the head of Slytherin house for hours, not finding anything that she could use to prove the chamber contained a basilisk and not a spider. In fact, in all the books she had searched through, she had not found a single reference to the Chamber of Secrets. It was as if the room did not exist. Sighing in frustration, Lyra leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head.

"Lyra?"

Lyra spun around to see Conan walking towards her, the Gryffindor smiling brightly at her. "Hey Conan." She said, relieved to have a welcome distraction from thoughts of snakes and dungeons.

"What are you doing? Something for History of Magic?" Conan asked, nodding towards the books on her desk.

Lyra shook her head, "I knew better than to take that class. No, this is just out of interest."

"Out of interest?" Conan asked, and Lyra knew he didn't believe her for a second, "You're reading a dozen archaic books on Hogwarts out of interest?"

Lyra shrugged, "Why not? Just because I'm not a Ravenclaw doesn't mean I can't like to read."

Conan shook his head, coming to sit down next to her. "This doesn't have anything to do with Hagrid, does it?"

Lyra felt her heart stop and stared at him. Had he been _spying_ on her?

"Why would it have anything to do with Hagrid?" Lyra asked, trying to conceal her anxiety despite knowing full well she was failing miserably at doing so.

"I saw you coming back up from his hut long after class had ended from my dorm window. I didn't mean to spy, I just happened to look out at that moment. I also heard the stories about what he did last year, is that what you went to talk to him about?" Conan asked, and the genuineness in his tone made Lyra cast away her doubts. She could trust Conan; he was a Gryffindor after all, not a snake. Living in a constant web of lies was not in her nature and maybe, just this once, it might even be beneficial for her to let at least one person in on a portion of her plans.

Looking around them furtively to check for any signs of Tom Riddle or his gang, Lyra quickly cast a silencing charm around them, feeling relief bubble up inside her at the prospect of finally being able to share some of the million troubling thoughts that constantly plagued her night and day.

"It wasn't Hagrid who opened the Chamber of Secrets, Conan." Lyra said, "It was Tom Riddle."

A look of shock registered on Conan's face and he too looked around them furtively, "How do you know?"

"The monster in the Chamber of Secrets isn't an Acromantula like everyone believes" Lyra explained, "It's a giant snake known as a Basilisk and Riddle is a _Parselmouth_."

Conan was silent for a moment, a look of unease settling over his features, "How do you know all this?" He asked seriously.

Lyra shook her head, "I can't say, I'm sorry. Just trust me when I say I am 100% sure about this. I'm going to prove Hagrid's innocence, one way or another."

"You're going to prove it was Riddle?" Conan asked, his face unusually pale and Lyra nodded.

"I promised Hagrid." She said, wondering why her friend looked so concerned, "What's wrong?"

At her question, Conan snapped out of his reverie, shaking his head, "It's nothing. I'm just worried about what might happen if Riddle finds out about this. If he's really the one who killed Myrtle, that means he's dangerous...Just be careful."

Lyra inwardly laughed humourlessly at this; no one, in this time period at least, knew how dangerous Riddle was better than her.

* * *

"She said she was certain?" Tom snapped, rounding on Conan, a storm of fear and anger building inside him. He had not come all this way, he had not accomplished so much, only to have a nosy little snitch ruin it all for him.

"Yes, my Lord." Conan replied, unable to meet his eyes.

The other knights watched in subdued silence as their leader paced back and forth, a murderous expression on his cold face.

She had to be obliviated, Tom thought. Only that would be too risky. It would be impossible to tell how far back her knowledge of him went without first knowing how she knew so much about him. Usually his first instinct would be to suspect that a member of his own inner circle had betrayed him; however, something instinctual within Tom told him Lyra had known what he was before she had ever laid eyes on him.

No, the girl had to go. Unfortunately, it would be incredibly difficult to dispose of her without Dumbledore noticing - seeing as the man had taken to watching his every move ever since the Chamber of Secrets incident. It would be far too risky to kill her himself...no, he would have the basilisk do it, but this time, he would have her murdered in the chamber itself. No one would ever know why she disappeared. No one would even suspect save Dumbledore...it had to be done.

"Out." Tom said, addressing his knights at last, "All of you, out. Except you, Devlin. Stay."

Conan looked up, his blue eyes shining with fear and Tom wrinkled his nose in disgust. Gryffindor, indeed.

As the last knight left the room, Tom turned to Conan, piercing him with his dark glare. "Are you aware of the location of the girl's bathroom haunted by the ghost of Myrtle Warren? The girl killed by the monster in the Chamber of Secrets last year?" Tom asked sharply, and Conan nodded.

"You are to lead Lyra there at exactly 9 pm tomorrow night." Tom continued, "You will tell her whatever lie you need to in order to get her there and then you will open the Chamber of Secrets and ensure that she, and only she, enters it."

Tom watched as the blood drained from Conan's face as the boy caught on to the meaning of Tom's words, "You're going to kill her, my Lord?"

Tom scoffed, "Did I ever say any such thing?" He sneered, a malicious smirk on his face.

"She has information she is withholding from me." Conan argued, "Surely it would be beneficial to you if you were to first find out what she knows and how she knows it."

"Did I ever say I would not find out what I need to know?" Tom snapped, irritated at the boy's audacity.

Conan shook his head, "No, my Lord."

"Another thing." Tom continued, "To open the chamber you will need to speak Parseltongue. Repeat after me."

" _Open_ ", Tom hissed and Conan attempted to imitate the sound, failing miserably. Annoyed at the Gryffindor's incompetence, Tom repeated the sound again, and on the third or fourth try, the boy managed to recreate an imperfect imitation of the sound.

"Do not forget. 9 pm sharp. Ensure you are not seen." Tom said once more and Conan nodded.

"Yes, my Lord."

* * *

"Where are we going?" Lyra asked, wrapping her coat around her tightly to ward off the cold autumn breeze. Conan had met her in the library after supper and insisted she follow him outside. Confused, and slightly alarmed, by the urgency in his tone, she had followed him out onto the castle grounds.

Conan stopped as they reached the water's edge, his face tortured. Concerned about her friend, Lyra reached out to touch his arm but Conan only shook his head, pulling his arm away from her. Lyra frowned at him in confusion, an uneasy feeling settling in her stomach.

"What is it?" She asked apprehensively.

"I'm sorry Lyra, I lied to you." Conan said, his voice wavering.

Lyra frowned, "It's okay, just tell me what it was about."

Conan shook his head, taking a deep breath, "Alright." He said finally, "My sister wasn't killed by Grindelwald; she's in his prison in Nurmengard. She's alive but she won't be for long unless I-" Conan paused, fighting back tears, "Unless I bring Grindelwald the resurrection stone."

"The resurrection stone?" Lyra asked, confused.

"Did your parents ever read you _The Tales of Beadle the Bard_?" Conan asked, and Lyra nodded, "Of course."

"Remember the story where Death gives the three brothers gifts? The wand, the stone and the cloak of invisibility? Well they're real. They're called the Deathly Hallows and together, it is rumoured they can make one master of death."

Lyra stared at him in confusion, "And Grindelwald wants them?"

Conan nodded, "He always has the Elder wand. Now he wants the those; especially the resurrection stone. He plans to use it to raise an army of inferi - dead bodies."

"And you are going to _give_ this stone to him!?" Lyra asked, staring at the Gryffindor badge on his chest in confusion.

Conan shook his head, "No. No, I was, but not anymore, I've changed my mind. I have a better idea but...I need your help..."

"My help?" Lyra asked, not understanding.

"Listen," Conan said, his blue eyes pleading, "You're going to be very angry about what I'm about to tell you but I just need you to promise to hear me out okay? Just wait until I finish?"

Lyra frowned, "Okay." She said, feeling a shiver run up her spine that had nothing to do with the cold outside.

Conan sighed, "Okay." He said, finally beginning his story, "My sister was born a squib. My family is pureblood and quite traditional and so when they found out their daughter wasn't magical...they gave her up for adoption. She was around eight at the time and I was twelve. After she left, my parents started pretending they'd never had a daughter. They got rid of all her things, turned her bedroom into an office space and removed all of her photos from the wall. I kept in touch with her secretly through my friend's owl and she told me she was now living with a Muggle family in Albania. When the war against Grindelwald started she couldn't write as often because owls were being intercepted. The last message I got from her was that Grindelwald was rounding up blood traitors, muggle borns, and squibs and that she didn't think she should be writing to me anymore. I flooed to Albania as soon as I got that message but she had already been taken."

At this, Conan paused, and Lyra felt her heart go out to him, "So anyway, I tried to sneak into Nurmengard and obviously, I was caught. Grindelwald was impressed by my wandwork though and offered to let my sister go free if I brought him the resurrection stone. He had already discovered the location of the resurrection stone but he couldn't touch it because it's been cursed, so he enlisted me to figure out how to break the curse."

Conan paused again, looking Lyra over carefully, "Do you know why Tom Riddle is a Parselmouth?"

Lyra paused; something told her she would be better off not revealing what she knew, "No." She lied.

"It's because he's the last descendant of Salazar Slytherin. His mother was Merope Gaunt and the resurrection stone is hidden under the shack in which she grew up. The shack is abandoned now because, just this past summer, Riddle's uncle, Morfin Gaunt, killed Riddle's father and paternal grandparents and he was sent to Azkaban."

Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine as she struggled to contain the truth about the murder of the Riddle family, "Seeing as Grindelwald can't get into Azkaban to question Morfin about the curse on the stone, his best hope is to get information out of Tom Riddle. So, I transferred to Hogwarts to befriend Riddle and find out if he knew anything about the stone and the curse on it."

"That's why you partnered with him in Potions." Lyra breathed, feeling her hands start to shake; she did not like where this was going.

Conan nodded, "I overheard one of the other Slytherin boys talking about a meeting with Riddle and I followed them. I ended up inside some sort of secret room in the middle of some cult-like pureblood supremacist group led by Riddle himself."

Conan paused, "He made me..."

"He made you what?" Lyra asked, not certain she wanted to hear the answer.

"He made me use the Cruciatus Curse." Conan said, his face full of guilt. "On Cygnus Black. To prove my loyalty."

Lyra was speechless. She stared at the boy in front of her, realizing for the first time just how terrible she was at judging peoples' character. She had thought him more trustworthy just because he had been a Gryffindor. He had tortured her housemate and lied to her and she had blindly trusted him with more secrets than she had told Rosalie and Elaina.

"Lyra, I didn't want to." Conan pleaded, "I had to gain his trust because it was the only way to get my sister back. I didn't want to-"

"What did you tell him?" Lyra asked, her hands shaking with fear. "What did you tell him about me?"

Conan gulped, a look of pure guilt on his face and Lyra felt the anger that had been simmering beneath the surface of her skin since her parents' death threaten to explode, "Tell me!" Lyra snapped, glaring at the pathetic traitor in front of her.

"He asked me to follow you. Befriend you and find out why you were so suspicious of him. He suspected you knew more about him than you were letting on or that you had some kind of hidden agenda...I didn't see you come up from Hagrid's from my dorm window, I spied on you from below one of the back windows of the hut and listened to your entire conversation. I told Riddle what I heard and he was furious. He ordered me to find out more information, so I asked you about Hagrid and you told me you knew Riddle was behind opening the chamber of secrets. I told him this and he was so afraid and angry he told me to lead you to the Chamber of Secrets where he would be waiting with the basilisk to kill you."

Lyra felt her hands shaking from fear and anger, "Why are you telling me this now? Why not just lead me blindly to my death? You clearly have no problem with torturing, lying, and betraying the people around you to get what you want!"

Conan shook his head, "Lyra, I am so sorry. I didn't know what he was capable of; I didn't-"

"Then you're a BLOODY IDIOT!" Lyra cried, pushing him until he stumbled and nearly fell in the lake.

Conan steadied himself, looking down at the dark water behind him, and edging away from the lake. "Lyra, listen. There's a way to fix this."

"Oh really, what is this brilliant plan of yours? Tell me quick before I come to my senses and let Riddle know you've betrayed him." Lyra snapped.

"Riddle is not who you think he is." Conan said, an unmistakable look of fear on his face.

"I am pretty sure he's exactly who I think he is." Lyra snapped, and Conan shook his head.

"Among his followers, he goes as Lord Voldemort. I haven't been in his gang long enough to know much about his plans for the future but at best, I think it is likely he will turn out to be another Grindelwald - or worse. I know it's a long shot but I think he may even be a match for Grindelwald. If we were to coax him into trying to steal the Elder Wand from Grindelwald; he would either succeed and Grindelwald might be defeated or he would be killed and we would be spared a future ruled by Lord Voldemort. Either way, we would win."

Lyra stared at him, annoyance mingling in with disbelief. Was this boy out of his mind!?

"I am sorry but I fail to see how this solves the immediate problem of him wanting me dead?" Lyra snapped.

"Do you have proof he opened the Chamber of Secrets?" Conan asked, and Lyra hesitated.

"Even if it is in the form of memories. That would work." Conan added, and Lyra stared at him. How much did he know?

"Yes." She said finally, "I have memories."

Conan nodded, "Okay. Then what we can do is charm a pensieve, filled with your memories, to appear on Dumbledore's desk the moment you die. That way, Riddle will be unable to kill you without incriminating himself."

Lyra paused, thinking this through, "What if he tries to obliviate me?"

"We can add that to the charm as well." Conan said, and Lyra nodded, "Do you know how to _do_ this charm?"

Conan blushed, "No, but I'm sure we can figure it out."

Lyra snorted, "Right. I'm sure it's not complicated at all." She said sarcastically, "And then, assuming this charm even works, are you saying I should go down into the Chamber of Secrets and confront him?"

"I'm saying go down there, pretend you didn't know he would be there, and then tell him what you know about the Deathly Hallows. Offer to help him find them and help him become immortal. Tell him it's the only option because of the charm." Conan said, desperate hope in his voice.

Lyra paused thinking this through. A part of her was scared it was another trap, but how could it be? If she really cast the charm properly, she would be protected.

"And then you want me to help him find the Deathly Hallows and defeat Grindelwald?" Lyra asked, "So that your sister will be freed."

Conan nodded, "I know it's a long shot but if anyone can steal the Elder Wand from Grindelwald it's Riddle."

Lyra scoffed, "He's barely seventeen."

"He's better than half our professors." Conan said seriously, and Lyra knew better than to question it. He was probably right. Although being better than a professor and being a match for Grindelwald were totally different things. In the end, Lyra knew only Dumbledore had been powerful enough to defeat Grindelwald. Pitting Tom against Grindelwald would likely result in Tom's death; if Lyra could figure out what steps towards immortality he had taken before Grindelwald ultimately killed him, there would be no more Lord Voldemort. In fact, working closely with Tom to find the Deathly Hallows would be a perfect opportunity to gain his trust and find out his secrets. As insane as this plan was, Lyra realized it just might work.

"Okay." Lyra said, slowly. "Okay I'll do it. You will be my spy though. Any information you find out about Riddle, you let me know. And I swear to Merlin, Conan, if you ever lie to me again..."

"I won't." Conan said and Lyra eyed him sharply, doubting she would ever be able to trust him again.

"And if Grindelwald comes out victorious..." Lyra said, "What happens to your sister?"

Conan bit his lip, "I don't know. I just know that if there's a chance to defeat him altogether, we have to take it. I can't give him the resurrection stone and risk making him even more powerful than he already is..." Conan said, and Lyra saw for the first time, why he had been placed in Gryffindor.

"Okay." Lyra said, turning to stare out at the dark lake. Her mission had suddenly gotten ten times more complicated and dangerous. She wished Astoria were here. She would know what to do. She had always been the more sensible one.

After a moment of silence, Conan walked over to the edge of the outcrop of rocks and sat down, his legs dangling over the edge. Lyra stared at him for a moment, feeling her hatred dissipate until only a vague sense of distrust was left. He had only wanted to save his sister but in the end he had chosen to save her life even if it meant risking his own and his sister's. Quietly, Lyra walked forward and took a seat next to him.

"It's okay." She said, "I forgive you."

Conan was silent for a moment and when Lyra looked over she saw his face was streaked with tears. Unsure what else to do, Lyra wrapped her arm around him and leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling his body shake as he cried.


	15. The unbreakable vow

**All belongs to JK Rowling! Thanks for your kind reviews everyone! This chapter marks a short of turning point in the story...so here goes...**

"Ready?" Conan asked, handing the vial of memories back to Lyra. Lyra looked at the silvery substance inside, feeling strangely nostalgic.

Looking down at the book on the table in front of them, Lyra flipped through the pages until she found the right one.

" _Revelio post-mortem_." Lyra said, picturing Dumbledore's desk in her mind's eye. When the vial remained in her hands, Lyra felt a tiny twinge of panic.

"Try again." Conan urged her, and Lyra nodded, repeating the spell. This time, the vial disappeared, and Lyra and Conan shared a look.

"Well?" Lyra asked, "Do you think it worked?"

"We'd better hope I never find out." Conan said, with a small laugh.

Lyra snorted, closing the book and handing it back to Conan. "We'd better get going. Wouldn't want to keep _Lord Voldemort_ waiting, now would we?"

Conan frowned, "Are you sure about this? You don't have to go."

"I'm certain." Lyra said, firmly. "Lead the way." She said, and Conan sighed, replacing the book under his bed and leading the way out of the Gryffindor boy's dormitory.

The pair were silent as they descended the stairs from Gryffindor tower, and Lyra felt her stomach flip with each step. Was she going to her death? She would know soon enough. As they reached the haunted bathroom at last, Conan led the way over to the sink and made a strange hissing noise. After a few minutes of trying, the sinks finally opened, revealing a tunnel beneath.

Lyra looked back at Conan nervously before climbing up onto the side of the tunnel, swinging her legs over the side until they dangled above the drop.

"Well, this is it." Lyra said, clenching the sides of the sink to hide how much her hands were shaking, "See you at dinner?"

A look of pure guilt filled Conan's face and he mouthed the words "I'm sorry." Lyra smiled, shaking her head. In more ways than he knew, Conan's betrayal had actually _helped_ her get closer towards her goal of killing Tom Riddle...despite the danger it now put her in.

With a final wave, Lyra let herself slide forward, screaming unintentionally as she slid down the tunnel at breakneck speed. With a thud, Lyra landed on the hard rocky ground, stumbling and nearly falling as she struggled to regain her balance. _Well that was graceful_ , Lyra thought. Brushing the dust off her robes, Lyra looked around herself, squinting through the darkness until she remembered she was a witch and whispered "lumos".

"Are you alive?" Conan's voice came from the small speck of light up above.

"No!" Lyra replied, smirking despite her fear.

In the light of her wand, Lyra could see a narrow tunnel disappearing into the darkness in front of her and cautiously approached it, looking around furtively. Keeping her wand out in front of her, Lyra followed the tunnel as quietly as possible, paralyzing fear gripping her body.

Just as she thought the tunnel would never end and she would be lost in the dark recesses of the school forever, the tunnel turned, revealing an opening into a large room complete with pillars and what Lyra could only presume was a statue of Slytherin at the far end of the room. Lyra paused at the end of the tunnel, hesitating as she scanned the room for any sign of Tom. Not seeing him anywhere, she slowly ventured out into the room, walking down the center of it towards the statue.

It was definitely Slytherin, Lyra realized, looking up at the silver statue of the most controversial of Hogwarts' founders. Lyra walked forward, reaching out to touch the statue.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Tom's smooth voice said, and Lyra spun around, staring at him in shock.

Her shock quickly turned to fear and anger at the smug look on Tom's face.

"You." She breathed, "It was you who opened the Chamber of Secrets wasn't it?" Lyra asked, relishing in the opportunity to confront him at last, despite the precariousness of her position.

Tom smirked, twirling his wand as he walked towards her, "Yes." He said, and there was a definite note of pride in his voice, "You really think that oaf could possibly be the heir of Slytherin?" He sneered, approaching her until he was a mere foot away.

"I am curious, however, about how you managed to find out this information." Tom said, and Lyra glanced down warily at the wand in his hand before looking back up at him, feeling her hatred for him overcome her logical mind.

"Riddle." She sneered, "Isn't it ironic that the only living descendant of Slytherin has a Muggle last name?" She asked, delighting in the flash of anger in Tom's eyes.

"You were right." Lyra continued, "I did spill that pumpkin juice on you on purpose. I did hate you on purpose because I knew you were a monster before I ever laid eyes on you."

Something akin to fear flickered behind Tom's eyes and Lyra smirked, "Do you know what the Deathly Hallows are, _Tom_?"

Tom glared at her in annoyance at the use of his first name and Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Well do you?"

"Enlighten me." Tom sneered.

"The wand, the stone, and the cloak of invisibility. Together they make one master of death." Lyra said, smirking at the look of disbelief on Tom's face.

"You don't believe me." Lyra said, raising an eyebrow, "It's a shame. Someone like you could really be powerful with all three in their possession. Look how far Grindelwald has gotten and he only has the wand. Granted, it is a wand that can never be beaten." Lyra said, and a look of surprise registered on Tom's face.

"How is it that you know this?" Tom asked, his dark eyes boring into her own.

"My parents have been researching the Deathly Hallows for years." Lyra lied, strengthening her Occlumency as she began the story she had practiced with Conan. "They discovered the three brothers in the story were of the Peverell family and from there they were able to trace the descendants of the three brothers. Unfortunately, this only helped so much as two out of the three lines disappeared hundreds of years ago and the Elder wand, for its part, had passed through so many hands that it had long since been lost. It was only by chance that my family discovered that it had once belonged to Gregorovitch, the wandmaker, until it was stolen by Grindelwald."

Lyra paused, noticing how fascinated Tom was by the story. Conan had been right in assuming he would want to find them now that he knew they existed.

"What about the other two?" Tom asked, "You don't know where they are?"

"My parents never succeeded in finding any information on the whereabouts of the cloak." Lyra said, "The stone, however..."

Lyra trailed off, a smirk forming on her lips. "The stone belongs to you."

The look of confusion and shock on Tom's face was priceless and Lyra felt the insane desire to laugh. Tom noticed her amusement and his expression immediately hardened into a look of distrust.

"You're messing with me." He snapped, and Lyra felt a flicker of fear at the intensity of his glare. She had not counted on him not believing her.

"Think about it, Riddle." Lyra said, "How else would I have known who you were? How else would I have known you were related to Slytherin had my parents not researched your family tree extensively. The second brother, the one who asked Death for a stone, was the only line we could trace down to the present day. At first they thought it ended with Morfin Gaunt but then when you so ruthlessly murdered your own father and grandparents...my parents discovered you." Lyra said, glaring at the boy in front of her.

Tom stared at her in shock, a flicker of anger igniting behind his eyes, "Yes, I know it was you who murdered the Riddles, Tom." Lyra snapped, "Anyone with more brainpower than the average Ministry worker could have detected the inconsistencies in the story you fed to Morfin. My parents figured it out and they tracked you down. How is Wool's Orphanage, anyway?" She asked, and Tom glared at her, his eyes flashing red, sending a shiver down Lyra's spine.

"Why are you here then?" Tom snarled.

"Here?" Lyra asked, looking around herself, "In the Chamber of Secrets or at Hogwarts?"

"Both." Tom ground out, his eyes piercing her like daggers.

"Many reasons...I wanted protection from Grindelwald, I wanted to finish my education, I needed a place to stay...but mainly, I came here to find you." Lyra admitted, and Tom's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Why?" He snapped.

"Because you're our only chance of stopping Grindelwald from getting the resurrection stone." Lyra said, and a look of fear crossed Tom's face.

"What does the resurrection stone look like?" Tom asked, a slight edge of desperation to his voice.

"It's black with the symbol of the Deathly Hallows on it. Last my parents saw it, it was encased in a ring." At her words, Tom's face visibly paled; his expression a look of poorly veiled horror. Lyra frowned, wondering why he was so concerned about the ring. He was obviously familiar with it but he had not known it was a Deathly Hallow. It had clearly held some other significance for him and Lyra made a mental note to look into this later.

"You know where it is, don't you." Lyra said. It wasn't a question.

"Does Grindelwald know where the ring is?" Tom asked, ignoring her question and clearly trying very hard to keep his emotions under control.

Lyra nodded, "He's got people surrounding the area night and day. He can't touch it, though, because it's been cursed."

"Cursed?" Tom asked sharply, and Lyra frowned. So it hadn't been Tom who had cursed the stone like Conan had thought. This meant that there was someone else who knew of the stone's existence that Lyra and Conan were not aware of.

"Yes." Lyra replied, "A number of Grindelwald's followers have even died trying to retrieve the stone and no one can figure out how to break the curse. I came to find you because I thought maybe you placed the curse on the stone." Lyra said, feeling as if the whole situation had just become ten times more complicated once more.

"Why would I curse my own grandfather's ring?" Tom snapped, irritated.

Lyra shrugged, "I don't know...to stop someone from stealing it?"

Tom snorted, "No."

They fell into contemplative silence for a moment and Lyra puzzled over the new information she had learned. Not only did the resurrection stone mean a great deal to Tom, he had not been the one to curse it. What did this mean?

"Well, Reed, as enjoyable as this discussion has been, I am afraid-"

"You can't kill me and you can't obliviate me. I made sure of it." Lyra interrupted, laughing humourlessly at the look of irritated shock on the Slytherin boy's face.

"You just expect me to let you walk out of here? Knowing what you know?" Tom asked, incredulously.

"Yes." Lyra replied, "Because if you don't, you'll be in Azkaban before morning."

"And why is that?" Tom snarled.

"Because I've activated a charm on a piece of parchment that details proof of your involvement in the opening of the Chamber of Secrets as well as in the murder of the Riddles to appear on Dumbledore's desk the moment I die." Lyra said, smirking at the look of fury on Tom's face.

"That's an extremely complicated spell. You expect me to believe you are capable of that?" He sneered.

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Lyra asked, raising her eyebrows and Tom glared at her.

Once again, Lyra felt him tugging at the edge of her mind, trying to get in and this time she was prepared. She let him in, just enough to see that she was telling the truth before shutting the door to her mind.

"Well?" Lyra asked dryly, "Satisfied?"

"Where did you learn magic like that?" Tom asked, and Lyra could tell that somewhere far beneath his anger he was impressed.

"My grandmother taught me." Lyra said. It was close enough to the truth.

At this, Tom's eyes lit up and his face contorted into a twisted smirk. "I can't kill you, that much has been established." He said, and Lyra felt her heart beat quicken. Why was he so happy all of a sudden?

"But I can kill your friends." He said, and Lyra felt her insides turn to mush as Tom smirked even more at the look of horror on her face.

"What do you want, Riddle?" Lyra snapped.

"I want you to make the unbreakable vow." Tom replied, and Lyra felt a wave of fear wash over her.

"No." She spat out before she even knew what she was saying. Tom laughed.

"You don't even know the terms of it yet." He sneered, "I want you to swear that no matter what happens, you will never tell another soul outside this room what you know about me."

"That's too vague." Lyra protested, "I will swear not to tell anyone about the murders you've committed. That is all."

Tom was silent for a moment and then finally agreed, nodding. "Fine." He said.

"And in return I want you to swear not to kill or seriously injure anyone I explicitly tell you not to." Lyra said and Tom sighed in exasperation.

"You are in no position to make bargains, Reed." He snapped.

"I beg to differ." Lyra replied. "You can't kill me and as long as I live, I have the power to expose you. I will refrain from doing so only if you agree to my conditions."

"You cannot extend your list of protected people indefinitely." Tom argued, "I will give you five names. No more."

"Ten." Lyra countered.

"Five."

"Fifteen." Lyra said, smirking but Tom was not amused.

"Ten." Tom agreed and Lyra nodded.

Tom shot her a look of pure hatred, but extended his hand. "Fine."

Tentatively, Lyra reached out her hand to hold his own, surprised that the hand of such a cold-blooded killer could be so warm.

"Do you, Lyra Reed, swear to refrain from telling anyone outside of this room that I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, am responsible for the deaths of Myrtle Warren, Tom Riddle Sr., Thomas Riddle, and Mary Riddle?" Tom asked, pointing his wand at their entwined hands as a thread of gold light escaped from the tip.

"I do." Lyra replied.

"And do you, Lyra Reed, swear to refrain from telling anyone that I, Tom Marvolo Riddle, framed my uncle, Morfin Gaunt, and my classmate, Rubeus Hagrid, for the said murders?" Tom asked.

Lyra hesitated this time, remembering her promise to Hagrid. "I do." Lyra replied, feeling guilt swell inside her.

"Do you, Tom Marvolo Riddle, swear to refrain from intentionally seriously harming or killing the following individuals: Elaina Selwyn, Rosalie Prewett, Astoria Greengrass, Conan Devlin, Albus Dumbledore, Miriam Travers, Robert Reed, Hendrick Travers, Button, and..."

Lyra paused for a moment, an insane thought blossoming in her mind. Voldemort had turned himself into a monster. He had mutilated his own body; how, she was not sure. However, she was certain it could not have been pleasant. Whatever he had done to himself...perhaps if he had not done it...perhaps he would not have become as dangerous? It was a long shot but she couldn't help but think it was worth a try.

"And Tom Marvolo Riddle." Lyra finished, watching as Tom's eyes widened in shock.

A pregnant silence followed as Tom stared at her, his expression a mix of confusion, shock, fear, and anger.

"No." He said, and Lyra looked at him in surprise as the golden threads binding their hands disappeared into thin air.

"What did you do?" Lyra asked, frantically, "Am I bound to my side of the deal?"

"Why did you put my name on the list?" Tom snarled, ignoring Lyra's frantic questions.

"AM I BOUND TO WHAT I AGREED TO?" Lyra cried, and Tom let out a sigh of exasperation.

"No, Reed. You are not. Now answer my question, _why did you put my name on the list_?" Tom asked once more, clearly fighting to maintain his calm, and Lyra sighed in exasperation.

"Because I think there's something wrong with you." Lyra said, deciding to just tell him as much of the truth as possible.

"What?" Tom snapped, "There is nothing wrong with me."

"Your eyes flashed _red_ , Tom. In the middle of class." Lyra argued, "They turned red because you were angry. That is _not normal_."

Tom scoffed, "My eyes turned _red_?" He asked, unbelieving. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know!" Lyra exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air, "But my mother always told me that sometimes when people mess around with the Dark Arts too much...bad things happen to them."

At this, Tom laughed, "Your mother told you." He sneered, "Tell me, Reed, what did your mother know about the Dark Arts?"

"She was a Slytherin." Lyra stated, as if that explained it.

Tom scoffed, "Not all Slytherins are educated in the Dark Arts." He sneered, "I mean, look at you."

Lyra sighed, "I don't know. I just remember seeing this picture of a man with no hair and red eyes when I was a child and asking my mother why he looked so strange. She told me it was because he had slipped too far into the Dark Arts and the perverse crimes he had committed had so mutilated his body that he became a monster."

"You thought you could stop me from practicing the Dark Arts by having me swear not to hurt myself?" Tom stated, irritation apparent in his voice.

"Yes." Lyra replied.

Tom was silent for a moment, thinking. At last he looked over at Lyra, searching her face for a moment before scoffing. "You're a fool, Reed."

Lyra shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"You could have protected another person you cared about." Tom said, snorting, "Instead you tried to waste it on me." He said, glaring at her.

"Well you didn't accept the vow so nothing is _wasted_." Lyra snarled.

Tom was silent for a moment and Lyra looked around them at the chamber, wondering absently where the basilisk was.

"So?" Lyra asked after a moment, "What now?"

"I will agree to the vow if you do not put my name on the list." Tom said, and Lyra hesitated, thinking.

"Why do you want to be able to hurt yourself?" Lyra asked, wondering what exactly Voldemort had done to himself to turn himself into the snake-like creature he had become.

"Who says I want to hurt myself?" Tom snapped, "I merely want the freedom to do what I please."

Lyra scoffed, "Well then no deal."

Tom narrowed his eyes to glare at her. "Are you really willing to place all of your friends in danger over this small matter?"

Lyra glared at him; he did have a point. "Fine." She snapped, and Tom reached out to grab her hand once again, repeating the ritual the same as before. When it came time for her list, Lyra replaced Tom's name with Harry Potter; at least now, even if the prophecy was wrong and Harry was unable to defeat Voldemort, Voldemort would die when he killed Harry.

Lyra breathed a sigh of relief as he agreed to her list of names, expecting him to end the ritual. To her consternation, however, he spoke again.

"And lastly, do you, Lyra Reed, swear to not purposefully hinder my search for and possession of the Deathly Hallows?" Tom asked, and Lyra hesitated. This had not been part of the deal; however, she did intend to help him find them so what could be the problem with agreeing?

"I do." She agreed reluctantly, and Tom smiled, completing the spell until the golden threads of light wound their way so tightly around their hands that they disappeared into their skin.

The moment the spell was over, Tom withdrew his hand immediately and Lyra couldn't help but feel amused at his aversion to contact with other people.

"Riddle, not only will I not hinder your search for the Deathly Hallows," Lyra said, "I'll help you. If Grindelwald gets possession of all of the Deathly Hallows, he will be immortal and it will be, quite literally, the end of the world. I want revenge on Grindelwald and you might be the only one capable of stealing the Elder wand from him and discovering the cure to the curse on the stone."

Tom scoffed, "You can help me by staying away from me." He snapped, turning to leave.

"Why won't you accept my help?" Lyra asked, running to catch up to him, "My parents have been researching Grindelwald for ages. I have information that might be useful, it's only logical-"

"I don't trust you." Tom snarled, finally stopping and rounding on her.

"I just swore an unbreakable vow!" Lyra cried, genuinely confused, "I'm the _only_ person you can trust."

Tom scoffed, "Even if that were true, pray tell me why I should _want_ to work with you? So far you have been nothing short of an insufferable annoyance."

"I am going to try to find the Deathly Hallows regardless of whether you want to cooperate or not." Lyra replied.

"You just swore I could have them!" Tom snarled, and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Did I say I wouldn't let you keep them in the end?" Lyra asked, "I'm just going to find them for you."

"I can find them myself." Tom snapped, turning to continue walking out of the chamber and Lyra was strangely reminded of a petulant child.

Lyra sighed; this was going to be a long process.


	16. The person you loved

**Thanks for the reviews everyone! I will try to keep updating as often as possible :)**

 **I'm glad you liked Tom's reaction to finding out he turned one of the Deathly Hallows into a Horcrux, skepticalfox. Also Elle Light, I do intend for Lyra and Tom to go through some major character development as this story progresses, However, what this will mean for them I think is better left as a surprise...;)**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Tom was livid.

There was no other word to describe his state of mind. Despite all of his careful planning, all of his perfect acting, all of his brilliantly executed manipulations...it had only taken one nosy girl and her inquisitive parents to find out his darkest secrets. Well, maybe not his darkest...they didn't know about his Horcruxes...

Still.

The girl was unpredictable; she was impulsive and emotional and...Tom shuddered to think about what would happen if she should decide to impulsively sacrifice her own life to spill the secrets she had sworn to keep. He was at her mercy and this made his blood boil; it was everyone else who was supposed to be at _his_ mercy, not the other way around.

Now, not only would he have to be extra careful around Dumbledore, he would also have to take extra precautions around Lyra. He needed to leave the country, Tom realized, as soon as he graduated. He needed to get away from the people who knew him and away from the prying eyes of people who knew too much. Only then would he be free to explore the Dark Arts the way he longed to.

Tom forced himself to calm down, restraining the anger that was threatening to explode. It would not due to lose control; especially not now, especially not at Hogwarts of all places.

As the door to the Room of Requirement opened to admit Avery and Lestrange, Tom was jolted out of his thoughts, remembering why he had called such a last minute meeting with his knights.

Devlin. The Gryffindor boy had surely betrayed him; Lyra had been much too calm when she had seen him in the chamber and much too prepared. She had not questioned how he knew she would be there; she had been expecting him, that much was plain to see. Lyra had even added Devlin to her list of people she wanted protected...the boy had either always been on her side or had been unwilling to let her go to her death. Tom felt pure rage as he realized Lyra could have told Devlin everything about him before making her vow of secrecy and that now, seeing as he was unable to kill or seriously harm the Gryffindor, he had lost an element of control over the situation.

Wishing he had realized this the moment Lyra had placed Devlin's name on the list, Tom involuntarily clenched his fists. He had been careless and overly confident and it had cost him the upper hand. As the boy in question entered the room, followed by the rest of the Knights of Walpurgis, Tom purposely ignored him; wanting to give him the illusion of safety before turning the full force of his anger on him.

"My Lord?" Cygnus asked, and Tom felt a prick of annoyance at the stubborn audacity of the snake.

"Yes, Black?" Tom asked, his tone polite but his eyes murderous.

"Has something happened? Why did you call a meeting?" Cygnus asked, and Tom resisted the urge to curse his classmate into oblivion.

"No, Black. Nothing has happened. I merely wished to bring you all up here for a little chat." Tom snarled, turning to fix Conan with a dangerous smile.

"Is there anything in particular you would like to tell us about, Devlin?" Tom asked, and the Gryffindor visibly paled.

"My Lord?" Conan asked, poorly attempting to feign ignorance. Tom worked hard to restrain his temper.

"How is Lyra Reed?" Tom asked and the other knights turned to stare at the Gryffindor.

"She seems to have escaped unharmed." Conan replied, "Why is that, my Lord?"

"Why is that?" Tom asked, laughing coldly, "Well that's precisely what I want to ask _you_ , Devlin."

Conan frowned, "With all due respect-"

"With all due respect you betrayed me!" Tom snapped, finally losing his patience with the Gryffindor. A hushed silence fell over the room as the other knights stared from Tom to Conan and back again, some looking scared, others looking excited by the drama.

"My Lord..." Conan began, but Tom would not have it.

"What did you tell her? How long have you been lying to me?" Tom snarled,

"My Lord, I do not know what you are talking about!" Conan pleaded, and Tom resisted the urge to kill the traitor.

"Did you know she bargained for your safety?" Tom asked, approaching Conan slowly, "She must have known I would discover you were a traitor. This leaves me with only one option."

Tom saw Conan reach for his wand but it was too late, "Tidur sihirius" Tom said, pointing his wand in Conan's face, watching as the boy's eyes drooped and he fell backwards onto the couch, fast asleep. Tom glared at his sleeping figure, pointing his wand at the Gryffindor's tranquil face.

"Obliviate."

* * *

"You obliviated him." Lyra said, taking a seat opposite Tom at the Slytherin table. Seeing as it was only 6:30 am - the time Lyra had noticed Tom usually ate breakfast so that he could avoid the other students - they were the only ones at the table except for a few young students far off down the table.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "So he _was_ a traitor." He said, and Lyra felt her anger grow. Had Tom not even had any _proof_ of his betrayal before he wiped his memory?

"He was loyal until you told him to lead me to my death." Lyra said flippantly, grabbing a jar of cereal and emptying it into her bowl.

"He told you everything?" Tom asked, and Lyra nodded.

"Of course." She replied, purposefully refusing to meet his penetrating stare.

"And you still put his name on your list of people you wanted protected." Tom said, and Lyra could hear the unasked question in his voice. Why had she forgiven him for betraying her?

"I feared you would find out he betrayed you." Lyra said, trying to sound nonchalant, "Turns out I was right to be concerned."

Tom eyed her suspiciously, "Why would you be concerned for the welfare of someone who lied to you, pretended to be your friend, and then was nearly complicit in your own death?"

Lyra sighed, finally looking up to meet his eyes, "Because in the end he saved my life at great personal risk. He knew very well he might be killed for saving me and yet he did it anyway."

Tom pierced her with his dark gaze for a moment, considering her words, before returning his attention to his breakfast.

Lyra ate her own breakfast in silence for a moment, her thoughts returning to poor Conan. She would find a way to reverse the spell; she had to. She could still remember the way he had looked at her, dazed and confused, as if he remembered they had been friends but had forgotten certain crucial details. She had refrained from telling him he had been obliviated despite wanting to desperately. Her vow had sworn her to keep Tom's most dangerous secrets and any attempt to explain to Conan what had happened would require breaking that vow.

"Do you even sleep?" The questioning voice of Rosalie Prewett jolted Lyra out of her reverie and she turned around to see her friend coming towards her.

"I'm not the only one up at this hour." Lyra said nodding in Tom's direction and deflecting the question because no, she had not slept much the night before. She had been too stressed about everything to get more than 3-4 hours.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, sliding onto the bench next to her, "Riddle doesn't count." She said, shooting Tom a sly smirk.

"And why is that, Prewett?" Tom asked, feigning politeness.

Rosalie shrugged, "You're always up insanely early. It's almost as if you want to avoid everyone else."

Tom snorted quietly, "Is wanting some peace and quiet such a crime?"

Lyra had half a mind to say something about how he would know all about what was and wasn't a crime. Instead she bit her lip and turned to Rosalie, "Why are _you_ up, anyway?" Lyra asked.

Rosalie shrugged, becoming visibly uncomfortable, "I just couldn't sleep." She replied and Lyra knew with absolute certainty her friend was lying.

Tom had clearly noticed as well, as he stood up getting ready to leave, "Perhaps, Reed, you will get a more honest answer out of her if I am not present."

Lyra looked up at him in surprise at his forwardness and Rosalie picked up a piece of toast and hurled it at him, "Get lost, Riddle!"

Tom only laughed, brushing the crumbs off the sleeve of his robes before turning to leave. Lyra watched him go before turning back to her friend, her heart quickening when she saw that Rosalie had tears in her eyes.

"Rose! What is it?" She asked, reaching up a hand to touch her friend's arm.

Rosalie shook her head, glancing around them to make sure no one else was in sight, "I just had a nightmare, that's all."

"What kind of nightmare?" Lyra pressed.

Rosalie sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes, "It was about Elaina's mother." Rosalie confessed, and Lyra stared at her in confusion.

"What is going on between you two?" Lyra asked at last.

"You're going to hate me." Rosalie said quietly, and Lyra shook her head vehemently.

"No I'm not." She assured her, "Just tell me."

Rosalie scoffed, "Yes, you are. However, I guess I deserve it." She said, pausing for a second before continuing, "My mother collects magical artifacts. She has hundreds of them tucked away in her vault in Gringotts; some of them are thousands of years old and have been passed down for generations. In fact, it was my great-great-grandmother that began the collection back in the 1700s. She was a very proud woman - wealthy and prestigious - and the most valued piece of her collection was a kind of magical stone. When held, the stone would immediately summon the person you loved, or would come to love, most in the world, regardless of where they were. The stone would then take on the colour of your loved one's soul."

Lyra felt her heart stop, her fingers beginning to shake uncontrollably as she consciously rubbed the ring on her finger.

"Elaina's great-great-grandmother stole the stone from my great-great-grandmother and in retaliation, my great-great-grandmother placed a blood curse on all of her the female descendants. The curse doesn't show up in every female member of Elaina's family but it did show up in her mother and now her mother is dying." Rosalie paused, and Lyra felt as if she was going to throw up.

"Elaina can't give back the stone to my family because without it her mother would never have been born. The only way to end the blood curse is for someone from my family to lift it. I tried but I was not able to because it required- it required a sacrifice. I would have had to give up my magic to lift the curse; my great-great-grandmother had designed it like that to deter her descendants from ever lifting it. I couldn't." Rosalie admitted, looking guilt stricken, but Lyra barely heard her.

Tom. Tom Riddle. The stone had brought her Tom Riddle. The young, distrusting face of the future Lord Voldemort swam before her eyes, morphing into the cold dark eyes of his 17 year old self before even this image blurred into the white, snake-like face of the Lord Voldemort she had grown up to hate.

Lyra felt herself begin to shiver uncontrollably, her stomach churning painfully. It couldn't be true. It had to be a mistake. It could not have been the same stone...but how could it have not been? She remembered the horrified expressions on her parents and grandmother's faces, the way her mother had reacted. It all made sense now. The stone had belonged to Elaina, whose mother suffered from the same blood curse as her cousin Astoria. There was no way the stone she wore on her finger was not the very same stone Rosalie had just mentioned.

And it was green. Green like Slytherin. Green like a snake. Green like Tom Riddle's soul.

Lyra vaguely heard Rosalie calling out to her as if from very far away before the world went black and she remembered no more.

* * *

 **:D**


	17. All hypothetical

**All belongs to JK Rowling! Thanks for the reviews as always :D**

"What happened?" Lyra heard someone ask.

"I don't know!" Rosalie cried, "One moment we were talking and the next-"

With great difficulty, Lyra forced her eyes open, blinking as the light hurt her eyes.

"Lyra!" Rosalie cried, as Lyra looked around herself, realizing she was on the floor of the Great Hall. For a brief, blessed moment, she was confused, before the barrage of memories assaulted her and she remembered what had landed her on the ground in the first place.

Tom Riddle. The one she was supposed to love more than anyone else. Her parents' murderer. Lyra squeezed her eyes shut once more and leaned her head back down on the ground. She didn't want to be awake yet.

"What's wrong with her? We need to send her to the hospital ward! Someone alert Professor Slughorn."

Lyra heard unknown voices discussing what should be done with her and realized if she was going to make her escape it was now or never. If not, she'd be dragged to the hospital wing and forced to recount everything to a concerned nurse and then confined to a bed for hours. With great difficulty, she managed to sit up and place a hand on her groggy head.

"I'm fine." She said, to no one in particular.

"You need the hospital wing." Rosalie said, grabbing her by the arm.

Lyra let her friend help her up before pulling out of her grasp a little too roughly, "Really. I'm fine." She said.

"No you're not! You just fainted!" Rosalie exclaimed and Lyra turned to glare at her friend.

"Rose." Lyra said, slowly and dangerously, "I. Am. Fine."

Leaving Rosalie and the crowd of students to stare after her, Lyra turned on her heel and marched out of the Great Hall as fast as she could go. Reaching the staircase, she began climbing the stairs two at a time, running towards the only place in the castle she knew she would be alone: Ravenclaw tower. Reaching the very top of the tower, above the Ravenclaw dormitories, she pushed open the old door that led out onto the balcony she and Astoria had claimed as their secret meeting spot back in first year. As she stepped out into the cool autumn air, a flood a memories came rushing back coupled and Lyra ran towards the railing of the balcony, tears streaming down her face as she clutched the cold stone railing.

For the first time since she'd arrived at the Hogwarts of 1943, Lyra let herself cry, her sobs disappearing into the wind. She didn't understand. She missed her parents. She missed Astoria. She missed her home, her time, her _life_.

She could go back anytime she wanted but she knew that would only land her in the middle of the way against Voldemort - against Tom Riddle. Her supposed "love". Lyra felt the literal urge to vomit at the thought. How could she love the man who had destroyed her life? Who had taken everything from her and who didn't even feel sorry for it? He deserved to die and yet now...if she killed him...would she be killing the "love of her life"? Perhaps she ought to kill him quick before the stone's "prediction" came true, Lyra thought viciously. She didn't _want_ to love him.

But what if she was missing something? A small part of her mind spoke up. What if by killing him she was denying not only herself, but also him, of true happiness?

No, Lyra thought, pushing that thought away. That is insanity. Even as a child he'd been a monster. He'd killed a rabbit when he was only eight; by the time she'd met him he'd already killed for fun. The dark-eyed little boy who'd appeared in her basement swam before her eyes and Lyra remembered with a shock that for a long time she'd actually felt sorry for him. She'd felt guilty she'd broken her promise and gotten the stone confiscated.

 _"I promise I'll come back."_

 _"You won't." Tom snapped bitterly._

 _"I will." Lyra promised as sincerely as possible._

She had come back, Lyra realized, almost laughing at the irony. She had fulfilled her promise even though it had taken her much longer than anticipated.

Lyra ran her finger across her ring, remembering her grandmother's note and wondering just how much she had known. Had she expected her to actually fall in love with the monster who killed her parents? Had she expected Voldemort to love her back? Was he even capable of such emotion?

Opening her eyes, Lyra started as she heard someone coming up the stairs. _Great_. Turning around, Lyra came face to face with none other than the Elaina Selwyn of 1944. She looked so much more like Astoria than the grey-haired woman Lyra remember from her childhood that Lyra had a hard time remembering sometimes she really was her grandmother.

"How did you find me?" She asked, quickly wiping away her tears.

"Cepheus said he saw you running up the stairs when he was coming out of the Ravenclaw dorms." Elaina replied with a wave of her hand.

Despite her state of mind, this caught Lyra's attention. "What was Lestrange doing in the Ravenclaw dorms?"

Elaina smirked, a mischievous glint entering her eyes, "Not what...but who."

"'Laina!" Lyra exclaimed, taken aback at her grandmother's forwardness. Despite the tears that were still drying on her cheeks, Lyra burst into laughter.

"You didn't hear it from me." Elaina said slyly, coming to stand next to Lyra, leaning her arms on the railing.

Lyra fell silent as her laughter died and she looked away, feeling awkward.

"Rose said she told you everything...but that's not why you're upset...is it?" Elaina asked, and Lyra silently lamented her uncanny ability to see through people.

"I just- I just miss them." Lyra said; it was part of the truth.

Elaina nodded, "I will know how you feel soon enough."

Lyra thought of Astoria, who would one day die from the curse. The curse that Rosalie could break but chose not to and she felt resentment for her friend settle in the back of her mind. "There must be another way." Lyra said, almost to herself.

Elaina shook her head, "There isn't. Believe me, I've tried."

"Do you have the stone?" Lyra asked.

"The stone of fate's design?" Elaina asked.

"That's what it's called?" Lyra asked.

Elaina nodded, "I have it. Why? Do you want to try it?"

"No." Lyra said, a little too quickly and Elaina gave her a strange look. "No, I just mean. I don't want to know who I will fall in love with. What if it's someone I don't like or..."

Elaina laughed, "Well if it shows you someone you don't like, I'm sure your feelings towards them will change eventually."

"What if I don't want my feelings to change?" Lyra asked, and Elaina looked at her curiously.

"This is all hypothetical, right?" She asked, and Lyra nodded.

"Of course."

Elaina did not look convinced but shrugged, "Well that would depend on why you want to hate them so badly."

 _How about because they turn into the next dark lord, destroy the world and murder my entire family_ , Lyra thought.

"What if they...I don't know...cheat...at...cards." Lyra said, and Elaina snorted with laughter.

"Cheat at cards? Merlin, Lyra, you sound like a Hufflepuff." Elaina replied, and Lyra cracked a smile despite herself at the mention of her old house.

"But in all seriousness, I think that if you are really determined to hate someone you need to start asking yourself what's wrong with yourself, not what's wrong with them." Elaina said, and Lyra fell silent.

She was quite certain her hatred of Voldemort was justified...but then again, was there something wrong with her? She had killed a woman in cold blood and felt no remorse and now she was trying to kill a boy who was barely seventeen for crimes he had not yet committed. She was a Hufflepuff for Merlin's sake...this was hardly _normal_ behaviour.

"Do you hate Rose?" Lyra asked, and Elaina stiffened.

"I am trying not to." She said, after a moment, "I really am trying."

"But you do, hate her." Lyra stated.

Elaina was silent for a moment before nodding, "It's just that...every time I look at her I'm reminded of the fact that she's willing to let my mother die so she can remain a witch. She's choosing her own magic over my mother's life. I just- I am _trying_ to forgive her...I just can't."

Lyra thought of Tom, realizing that ever since she had come to 1943 she had been looking at him as her parents' murderer. She hadn't been seeing him for who he was, she'd been seeing him for who she'd decided he was: a monster. Was it possible that grief and anger had blinded her? Did it _matter_?

"Do you think that one day, you'll be able to be friends again?" Lyra asked.

Elaina shrugged, "Maybe. Quite frankly, though. I don't care." She said, with a kind of apathy that sent chills down Lyra's spine. This was not how she remembered her grandmother.

"Do you think you'll ever forgive the boy who cheats at cards?" Elaina asked, a smirk creeping back on her face.

Lyra sighed, giving up on trying to convince her friend of the "hypotheticalness" of the situation, "No." She said, "No, I don't think so."

* * *

Lyra sat at the back of the Potions class, not even bothering to listen to Professor Slughorn as she stared daggers into the back of a certain Slytherin's dark-haired head.

What was there to like about Tom Riddle, anyway? Lyra thought to herself. He was arrogant, cruel, unfeeling...sure he was handsome and intelligent...but did that really matter at the end of the day if she couldn't have a single conversation with him that didn't make her want to wring his neck? She had come here to murder him not fall in love with him and just because some stupid rock that it was in her destiny to care about him didn't mean she had to. At the end of the day, she had free will right? She could choose her own future...couldn't she?

Rosalie had bombarded her with questions and concerns the moment she and Elaina had set foot in class and Lyra had had to fight hard to keep her temper under control. She had assured her friend it had not been her fault she had passed out and had even assured her they would remain friends despite what Rosalie had told her, but there was a part of her that resented the redhead now. It was, after all, her own family that was cursed.

As the class ended, Lyra forced herself to pry her eyes away from Tom, fumbling with the strap on her bag with shaky fingers.

"Are you okay?" Conan asked, coming over to say hi.

Lyra looked up in surprise, "What? Why wouldn't I be okay?"

"You look as if you've seen a boggart." Conan said, as Lyra finally managed to throw her schoolbag over her shoulder.

"I'm fine." Lyra assured him, "Really. How about you? Any more episodes of confusion?"

Conan shook his head, "Nothing else, really. I just- I get the feeling I am missing something? You know, as if I've forgotten something."

"Forgotten what?" Lyra asked, unable to stop herself from momentarily glancing over at Tom.

Conan shrugged, "That's the thing. I can't remember. Anyway, I'm headed to the Quidditch pitch if you want to join."

Lyra shook her head, unable to play Quidditch for the life of her, "I'm sorry, I should really go to the library." She said. She needed to find a way to reverse the damage to Conan's brain and she needed to do it fast.

Saying goodbye to Conan, Lyra nearly ran to the library, dropping her bookbag into a nearby chair and then disappearing into the shelves of books, skimming the sections to find anything she could on reversing spells.

Speaking of reversing spells, Lyra groaned inwardly as she remembered the cursed ring that also happened to be a Deathly Hallow. If she wanted to kill Tom - which she still did want to do, right? - then she would need to either gain his trust (despite her previous hostility) or discover his secrets on her own. At the moment, discovering his secrets on her own was looking to be near impossible. Perhaps gaining his trust - which would require spending a lot of time in his company...a thought that made Lyra slightly nauseous, especially after the events of this morning - might unfortunately be the best way to proceed.

As she made her way back to her table, her arms loaded with a pile of books so high they nearly reached her nose, Lyra spotted Tom sitting alone over by the restricted section. With a sigh, Lyra turned on her heel, returning the books she had been going to read to research how to reverse Conan's memory loss and piling her arms full with books on curses instead. Running to her table briefly to grab her bookbag, Lyra brought all of her stuff over to Tom's table, letting it all fall unceremoniously onto the table.

"Hi." Lyra said, pulling out the chair opposite Tom as he looked up, glaring daggers at her. He looked almost like a pissed-off cat who just wanted to be left alone, Lyra thought.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked, sharply.

"Figuring out how to break the curse on the ring." Lyra replied, pulling one of the many books strewn over the table towards her and opening it.

"I thought I made it very clear that I do not need, nor want, your interference in my search for the Deathly Hallows." Tom snapped, and Lyra shrugged.

"Too bad." She said casually, not bothering to look up from her book.

"Remember Reed, I did not swear an unbreakable vow not to physically harm _you_." Tom warned, and Lyra scoffed.

"Why Riddle, you're the Head Boy. Surely you would never harm another student." Lyra sneered, "Everyone knows you're the most charming, kind, helpful-"

"Enough." Tom snapped, standing up and gathering up his things. "I do not have time for your idiocy."

 _Oh no_ , Lyra thought. She was supposed to have been gaining his trust not insulting him and pushing him away. Merlin this was going to take a lot of self-control.

"Wait, Riddle, don't go." Lyra said, standing up as well. "I'll stop talking, I swear."

Tom only ignored her, swinging his bag over his shoulder, and so Lyra tried again.

"Riddle, stay, we need to work on this together." She said, "I- I'm sorry." She forced herself to say, stomaching the nausea these words created in her stomach. They did the trick, though, and Tom turned to look at her, his dark eyes filled with suspicion.

"What are you playing at, Reed? Why are you so interested in the Deathly Hallows?" He asked sharply, leaning his hands on the table in front of her.

"They're the key to defeating Grindelwald. I already told you." Lyra lied, hoping she sounded properly exasperated.

Tom stared at her in silence for a moment, presumably evaluating the trustworthiness of her words. At last, he stood up straight again, giving her a dirty look. "Give up, Reed." He snapped, turning to leave before Lyra could reply.

Cursing him under her breath, Lyra forced her pulse to slow and her mind to return to the task at hand. She would show him. She would find something useful and she would show that arrogant prick he was better off with her help.

* * *

By the time she wandered back to the Slytherin common room late that night, Lyra had learned a ton of useless information and nothing that could possibly be of any use in removing the curse on the ring. Dragging her feet from exhaustion, Lyra realized that even if she could find some generic information on how to remove curses - it may not even be of any use since she had once heard that all curses were unique. They would have to actually go _examine_ the curse if they were to have even the slightly hope of breaking it. However, if what Conan had said were true, this would require getting around the men Grindelwald had stationed around the shack in which the ring was hidden.

Feeling a slight throbbing sensation in her temple, Lyra pushed open the door to the Slytherin common room, groaning inwardly as the one person she wanted to see the least happened to be the only one still in the room. Tom looked up from the book he was reading as she came in, giving her a slight glare, before returning his attention to the book. Pushing away her desire to get as far away from him as possible, Lyra approached the table he was sitting at, taking a seat in front of him.

"How are you going to remove the curse when you don't even know what it is?" Lyra asked, and Tom looked up at her, clearly annoyed.

"Go to bed, Reed." Tom said dryly.

"No, but seriously, have you even thought about it?" Lyra asked, "Curses are supposed to be all unique and you can't just read a book and expect-"

"I am well aware of the properties of curses." Tom snapped, "In case you haven't noticed, I can't exactly just stroll out the front door of the school to go examine the ring." Tom replied dryly.

Lyra paused, a brilliant idea hitting her. It was so obvious, she wondered why she hadn't thought of it earlier.

"What if there was another way to get out of the school?" Lyra asked, her eyes shining brightly as Tom looked up at her quizzically.

"How would _you_ know another way to leave the school?" Tom asked, "You're new."

"Meet me after Transfiguration tomorrow and I'll show you." She said, standing up.

Tom looked up at her suspiciously and Lyra sighed.

"For the love of Merlin, Riddle. _Trust_ me."


	18. Hidden Agenda

**Sorry for the long wait! Thanks to everyone who reviewed you guys are amazing!**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

When Lyra arrived in Transfiguration the next day she paused as she entered the classroom. The seat between Tom and Eridanus in which she had sat last week was still empty and no seats were free next to Elaina and Rosalie. She could sit next to Druella but that was hardly better than sitting next to Tom and at least if she sat next to Tom then she could take the opportunity to further gain his trust and find out his secrets...

With a sigh, Lyra veered to the right, passing Druella and taking a seat next to Tom.

"Good morning." She said, forcing a tight-lipped smile.

Tom merely raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to the passage he had been reading in his transfiguration book.

"What? No good morning?" Lyra asked, privately thinking that Tom's habit of outright ignoring her was probably the thing that annoyed her the most about him. Considering his psychopathic tendencies and his overall unpleasantness, this was saying something. For the billionth time, Lyra questioned the stone's reliability.

Tom turned to look at her, a dangerous smile on his lips, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." He sneered, before turning back to his book once more.

Lyra felt her blood boil but forced herself to remain calm.

She turned to Eridanus instead, "How's it going?" She asked, and the sandy-haired boy visibly paled, shooting a few wary looks in Tom's direction.

"Well, thanks." Eridanus replied, turning awkwardly away from her as Lyra frowned in confusion. Why was he so afraid of her? What had Tom _told_ him?

To Lyra's immense relief, Dumbledore chose that precise moment to stroll into the room, freeing Lyra from the awkwardness of her situation.

"Good morning everyone!" Dumbledore exclaimed, "I apologize for my lateness, I was rather preoccupied with matters concerning a certain poltergeist and a rather shaken first year...but never mind all that! We have a lot to accomplish today. However, if you have all practiced the appropriate chapters - as I have absolute faith you all have - this exercise should go quite smoothly."

Lyra felt her stomach drop as she realized that with everything else going on, she had completely forgotten to prepare for this class.

"Now. We're going to have you all pair up again and this time, we're going to turn our partners' entire arm into the limb of the animal of your choice." Dumbledore announced, and Lyra turned to Tom, wondering whether he would consent to being her partner again this time. However, seeing as Abraxas, who was seated to his right had already begun to practice with Cygnus, it didn't look as if he had much choice.

"Is there any chance you actually did your homework during those long hours you spent in the library yesterday researching something that does not concern you?" Tom asked, and Lyra felt her cheeks blush with a mixture of embarrassment and indignation.

"I don't understand why you won't accept my help." Lyra said, ignoring his question, "It's in your own interest."

"Is it?" Tom asked skeptically, and Lyra gave him a withering look.

"Who is Button?" Tom asked, and Lyra cracked a smile despite herself. She had been wondering when that question would come up ever since she had added her pet to the list of people Tom was forbidden from harming.

"My pet knarl." Lyra replied, laughing at the look of confusion on Tom's face.

"You could have protected anyone in the world and you chose your pet _knarl_?" Tom asked, looking at her as if she had three heads.

Lyra shrugged, "Why not? That's totally something you'd do too...murder my pet. No one would even investigate it. It would be the perfect revenge."

"I was not even aware your beloved pet existed let alone about to murder it." Tom replied, raising an eyebrow.

"What, did you actually think I ate my own Transfiguration book?" Lyra asked, referring to the incident of the week before.

The corner of Tom's mouth twitched in a half smirk at the memory, "Forgive me for not assuming you actually _owned_ the creature that destroyed your property. I would have assumed you would have trained your pet not to eat your schoolbooks."

"Well the only reason she went crazy was because Hornby left chocolates under her bed and knarls lose their minds when they smell food." Lyra explained, somewhat defensively, "The book that was destroyed was actually Hornby's and I switched with her to compensate."

At this, Tom turned to stare at her as if she truly were insane, "Why would you do that? It was due to her own idiocy that her textbook was destroyed."

Lyra shrugged, "It was my knarl." She replied.

"Yes but it was _her fault_." Tom countered.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "It doesn't matter. It's just a book."

Tom gave her a strange look, falling silent for a moment, "I don't understand you." He said at last, "You give your book to a girl who's horrible to you, you protect a boy who nearly led you to your death, you put an _animal_ on a limited list of people you wanted protected..."

Lyra frowned in confusion, "What is strange about all that?"

Tom simply twirled his wand, a pensive expression on his face, "And now you claim you want to bring down Grindelwald by helping me find the Deathly Hallows...even though you know what I am." He said, his dark eyes piercing her until Lyra lost her nerve and looked away.

"Either you are not a Slytherin...which raises its own set of questions as to why you were placed in this house in the first place. Or...you are not who you seem. Seeing as I doubt the Sorting Hat would place you in Slytherin without due reason I am more inclined to believe the latter."

"You think I'm putting on an act?" Lyra asked, disbelief evident in her voice. Granted, she was lying to him and plotting his murder, but she was certainly not putting on an act with regards to her treatment of Olive, Conan, and Button.

"Yes." Tom replied, "I think you have a hidden agenda. And that, is why I don't trust you."

Lyra shook her head, "Riddle, you're completely paranoid. What could I possibly be planning?"

Tom fixed her a piercing stare, "You tell me."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Just because your "good boy act" is fake doesn't mean everyone else who does something nice is putting on an act."

"You're a Slytherin." Tom replied, "And not too long ago you were trying to investigate my role in the Chamber of Secrets incident. I don't think it is too farfetched to believe I would be sitting in a cell in Azkaban right now if I had not made you swear that Unbreakable Vow. I know that was what you wanted. Don't lie. And now you're trying to tell me I should _trust_ you? That you, who have already deceived me once, have no other hidden agendas?"

Lyra shrugged, "Believe what you want to believe, but explain to me how helping you find the Deathly Hallows can possibly harm you."

Tom shook his head, before glancing over at Dumbledore who was approaching their table. Evidently realizing they had talked for far too long, Tom turned, holding out his hand for her arm. "Unlike you, I actually did prepare for this class and know what I am doing so I would suggest you let me go first."

Startled at the sudden change in topic, Lyra frowned in confusion but held out her wrist for him to grab nonetheless. He took her wrist almost gingerly at first before getting a firm grip on it and this time Lyra couldn't stop herself from voicing the question that was burning a hole in her head.

"Why are you so disgusted by physical contact?" Lyra blurted out, and Tom's expression darkened as he looked up at her.

"What makes you think I am disgusted?" He asked, in a tone that was almost reminiscent of the polite tone he used with everyone except her.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "It's written all over your face. I noticed it during the Unbreakable Vow too. You hate touching people."

"How do you know it's not just _you_ that I hate?" Tom sneered, and Lyra shot him a withering look.

"Why is it though?" Lyra pressed, despite the increasingly annoyed look on Tom's face, "Are you that disgusted by other people or are you just unused to it seeing as you've never had any friends or family." Lyra finished viciously, feeling a surge of vindictive pleasure at the mutinous look on his face.

"I understand you enjoy flaunting the fact that I cannot kill you but I would caution you to remember I don't need my secrets to be kept forever. There will be a time when I won't care if you expose me, Reed, because I will be so powerful it won't _matter_." Tom hissed in a low voice that sent a shiver down Lyra's spine even though she knew that if all went according to plan, she would kill him and disappear from this time period before he ever rose to power. That is...unless the stone's prediction came true...

Realizing her supposed "love" was still holding her by the wrist, Lyra felt a jolt of electricity run through her and pulled her hand away quickly. She _had_ to stop considering the possibility the stone was correct. There was absolutely nothing to love about Tom Riddle and she was going to ensure it stayed that way.

"How is everything going here?" Dumbledore asked, and Lyra jumped in surprise.

"Fine, sir." Tom replied politely, and Lyra nodded enthusiastically.

A curious look entered Dumbledore's blue eyes but he nodded, "I would ask to see you perform the spell but I am afraid we are quite out of time. I do, however, have every confidence that you have both mastered the spell despite having used this class to have a little chat."

Lyra felt her cheeks turn crimson and she glanced over at Tom, who was putting on a look of guilt that Lyra could tell now, after having observed him for a few weeks, was clearly fabricated.

"We are very sorry professor." Tom said, "It was my fault, I was asking Lyra about Albania and completely lost track of time. It will not happen again."

Dumbledore smiled but Lyra could tell by the lack of genuine warmth in his expression that he did not believe a single word Tom had said, "Well, Ms. Reed, your stories about Albania must have been quite captivating. I trust you already know that Mr. Riddle here is not usually one to put anything else above his academics."

Lyra twisted her hands together in nervousness and forced a smile, "Any wartime story is captivating, albeit in an unfortunate way."

At this, Dumbledore's expression softened and he nodded, "Well put, Ms. Reed." He said, a look of sadness entering his eyes before he smiled again.

"I do believe I have held you up long enough." Dumbledore said as he looked around at the students filtering out of the class. "I wish you a wonderful weekend and I look forward to seeing you both perform full-body transfiguration next week."

"Absolutely." Tom replied, and Lyra nodded, quickly gathering up her things and stuffing them unceremoniously in her bag.

Dumbledore turned to leave and Lyra looked over at Tom who refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing on carefully packing his bag. As he finally swung his bag over his shoulder, he turned to Lyra, "Well? You wanted to show me something?"

Lyra nodded, "Come on." She said quietly, leading the way out of the classroom.

As soon as they were out of earshot of anyone else, Lyra turned to him, "You don't think he...heard? Do you?"

Tom scoffed, "I know he didn't." He replied confidently, "I cast a nonverbal silencing charm."

Lyra felt a wave of relief wash over her and mentally chastised herself for not thinking to cast a silencing charm herself.

The pair fell silent as Lyra led the way up the stairs to the third floor, praying that the secret passageway was still in existence in the 1940s. With a stroke of luck, Lyra found that the tunnel was exactly where it was in her own time and opened it, relishing in the look of shock on Tom's face.

"Who else knows about this passage?" Tom asked, clearly suspicious.

"I don't know." Lyra said, "I found it by accident."

"You expect me to believe that?" Tom sneered, and Lyra shrugged.

"I don't really care what you believe." She replied dryly, stepping inside the tunnel. "You coming?"

Tom hesitated, "Now?"

Lyra shrugged, "Why not? It's Friday night, no one will notice we're gone if we're only there for a few hours."

Tom hesitated for another moment before nodding.

Lyra smiled triumphantly, turning back once she was inside the passageway to look back at Tom. At last, the Slytherin boy relented; following her into the tunnel despite the look of unsettled apprehension on his face. Lyra glanced back at him once more before taking off down the tunnel; her stomach slightly sick as she thought of what had happened the last time she had been in this tunnel.

At last, they reached the exit and Lyra wrapped her arms around herself as they exited into an empty field on which the Shrieking Shack would one day be built. Lyra turned to see Tom come out, looking around himself. At last, his dark brown eyes settled on her and Lyra raised an eyebrow.

Opening her mouth to speak, Lyra saw Tom begin to turn on the spot and closed her mouth again. Realizing what he was doing, she lunged forward, grabbing his arm before he disapparated. Searing pain filled Lyra's arm as she felt herself dragged through a tube with Tom and she fought to keep her grip on Tom's arm, only letting go as the spinning stopped and they landed in a field.

"You idiot!" Tom snarled, as Lyra crumbled to the ground, clutching her arm that was now bleeding badly.

 _I've been splinched_ , Lyra thought frantically, fumbling in her robes for her wand. With a trembling hand, Lyra pointed her wand at the wound on her forearm, trying to mend it with little success.

"Get up!" Tom snapped, hauling her to her feet as Lyra gripped her arm in pain, "We need to hide. Now!"

Feeling she was about to pass out from the pain, Lyra nearly fell as Tom grabbed her other arm, dragging her into the shelter of the trees. Inside the cover of the trees, Tom let her go and Lyra slumped to the ground, leaning her back against a large tree trunk as she continued to try to unsuccessfully heal her arm.

Tom walked around her in a circle, muttering incantations under his breath that Lyra guessed would serve to protect them from being seen or heard. Lyra felt her strength disappearing and her head become light as the blood loss became too much. She couldn't heal herself, she didn't have the strength to apparate back to Hogwarts and she was alone in the woods with the future Lord Voldemort of all people.

"Tom..." Lyra breathed, "Please..."

At the sound of her voice, Tom turned to look at her, his face filled with a mixture of disgust and annoyance. "Why did you come?" He snarled, "You just bled all over the ground and if Grindelwald's followers see that..."

"I can't heal it..." Lyra begged, "Please, help..."

In front of her, the dark figure of Tom Riddle blurred as her she struggled to keep her head up, the blood loss about to make her pass out.

With a sigh, Lyra heard Tom approach her, and she forced herself to lift her head to look at him. Kneeling down in front of her, Lyra felt him grab her wounded arm roughly and protested with a moan of pain, trying to yank it out of his hand.

"Would you keep still?" Tom hissed, pulling her arm towards him roughly and Lyra gritted her teeth against the pain, leaning her head back against the tree trunk and closing her eyes.

Tom began whispering under his breath and Lyra forced her eyes open to find her wounds were beginning to seal themselves up. As the pain slowly dissipated, she felt an immeasurable wave of relief wash over her.

"Thank you." Lyra breathed, still feeling incredibly light-headed and weak but in much less pain than a few moments ago.

She watched through her drooping eyelids as Tom stood back up, brushing the dirt off his robes and walking towards the edge of the forest. Putting a hand to her head, Lyra massaged her temple as if that would make the light-headedness go away.

"Where are we?" Lyra asked, as she finally got her wits about her, managing to stand up on shaky legs.

Tom ignored her, staring out past the tree line before turning around abruptly.

"We need to go. Now." He said sharply, and Lyra looked at him in confusion.

"But we haven't even gotten near the stone yet. We didn't find out any information!" She protested.

"And we're not going to get anywhere near the stone with Grindelwald's men out there." Tom replied, "There's at least five of them stationed around my uncle's cabin. They _heard_ us."

"But if we can't even get close enough to the ring to examine the curse..." Lyra began. but Tom cut her off.

"We need a distraction." He said, "Something to draw them all away from the ring long enough so that we can get a look at it."

"What kind of a distraction?" Lyra asked, and Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, not answering.

Lyra let out a sigh of annoyance at his tendency to just completely ignore things she said, too tired to push the issue. Perhaps Tom had not answered the question because he just hadn't figured out what kind of distraction to use.

"Can you apparate back yourself?" Tom asked, sighing in exasperation. Lyra hesitated, genuinely unsure if she could seeing as even walking was difficult due to her loss of blood.

"Fine." Tom snapped, walking up to her and grabbing her arm. Lyra clung on tightly as Tom spun on the spot, pulling her with him this time as she felt the air constrict her and then loosen up as they arrived back in Hogsmeade.

Apparating always made Lyra feel slightly sick, but with her already sustained injuries, she felt as if she was about to vomit. Noticing her expression, Tom immediately detached himself from her, looking her up and down in disgust.

"Are you going to be sick?" He asked, apprehensively.

"Sh." Lyra snapped, trying desperately to think of anything but the overwhelming nausea filled her. At last the feeling passed and she looked over at Tom who was still staring at her in disgust.

"You tried to apparate without me." Lyra said accusingly, and Tom's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Yes and can you now understand why?" He snarled, "You got yourself splinched, you nearly blew our cover and you left _material evidence_ behind for them to find." Tom snarled, viciously.

"None of that would have happened had you not tried to leave without me!" Lyra protested.

"I am only going to tell you this one more time, Reed. I do not _want_ your help and if you continue to push my boundaries I will be _forced_ to take more extreme measures to prevent your interference." Tom snarled, pushing past her as he reentered the tunnel.

Lyra let out a sigh of exasperation, too tired and shaken to argue any further. Resisting the urge to curse his retreating figure, Lyra squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before relenting and following him back down the tunnel to the school.


	19. Crucio

**Thanks for the reviews!**

 **ElleLight, unfortunately, Tom healed Lyra's splinch because he was worried that if she died his secrets would be exposed. He is intrigued by (and suspicious of) her though!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

"Lyra!" Rosalie cried joyfully, as Lyra entered her common room to find her roommates playing a rare game of exploding snap together by the fireplace."Where were you?"

Feeling very tired still from her near-death experience and not at all in the mood for socializing, Lyra forced a smile, "I was studying in the library."

"Good idea. Especially since you didn't do any studying in Transfiguration today...if you know what I mean." Druella sneered and Olive burst out laughing as Rosalie threw a pillow at the two of them.

Despite her exhaustion, Lyra felt a surge of annoyance course through her, "Staring at Riddle again were you?" Lyra asked washpishly, "Why don't you go get a love potion and be done with it already? It's not like he's ever going to look at you otherwise."

"Jealous are we?" Olive sneered, and Lyra gave her a withering look.

"If you even have to ask that question, you're an even greater idiot than I previously thought." Lyra replied dryly.

Druella cackled with laughter, "She _is_ jealous, isn't she!"

"Okay shut up-" Rosalie began but Olive cut her off, starting to sing off key.

" _Sweetheart of mine, I've sent you a valentine."_ Olive crowed, as Druella dissolved into a fit of giggles. " _Sweetheart of mine, it's more than a valentine._ _Be careful, it's my heart_."

First the bloody stone of fate's design, or whatever it was called, had decided she was just "destined" to fall in love with a psychopath, then this psychopath had gone and murdered her parents, and _now_ , her idiot roommates had the guts to actually tease her about being in love with him? With that _monster_?

"I AM NOT IN LOVE WITH TOM RIDDLE!" Lyra screamed, suddenly reaching her boiling point. "In fact, I happen to believe he is the most despicable and loathsome piece of shit to ever have the misfortune of existing. I honestly believe that had he not been born, the world would have been a much better place. He is the most worthless, disgusting, horrible-"

"vile, repulsive, nasty, foul...go on, Reed, may as well list all the insults your embarrassingly limited vocabulary can come up with."

Lyra whipped around, feeling her insides turn to mush as she turned to find none other than Tom Riddle, himself, standing in the doorway to the common room. He had gone on ahead of her after they had returned from their little excursion and she had thought he must have gone to bed. Apparently not.

Painfully aware that the entire common room had stopped to stare at the scene, Lyra turned on her heel, her face flushed beet red. Tears pricking at her eyes, Lyra quickly pushed past Tom, exiting the common room and taking the stairs up from the dungeons two at a time.

"Reed!" Tom called angrily from the bottom of the stairwell and Lyra paused, wiping away a tear that had escaped.

Reluctantly, Lyra turned around, glaring down at the dark-haired boy. "What do you want, Riddle? An apology? I meant what I said and I don't care who heard it. They deserve to know what you are."

His dark eyes flashed red as his face darkened with barely contained anger. "Then tell them what I am." He snarled, "Go on. Break your vow. Maybe then you'll get to see your precious dead parents again."

Before Lyra knew what she was doing she had her wand out, " _Crucio_!" She cried, fuelling the spell with all the pent-up hatred she felt.

Tom's eyes opened in momentary shock before he collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain, his screams splitting the air. Returning to her senses, Lyra lowered her wand, staring in shock as her enemy lay panting and shaking on the floor. She had _tortured_ him. She had actually used the Cruciatus Curse, an unforgivable...

Lyra stared down at Tom, the great Lord Voldemort. He looked so fragile, so vulnerable, as he struggled to push himself up on shaking limbs, pain etched across his face. It was she, who was the monster, Lyra realized. She had killed. She had tortured. She was the one who intended to kill him...a boy who had not done anything to harm her. Feeling guilt threaten to overwhelm her, Lyra turned and ran. She ran up the stairs, not even bothering to hide herself from prefects and teachers patrolling the school for students who were out after hours. She just ran...not out of fear of the likely expulsion she was going to have to face, not out of fear of the revenge Tom certainly had in store for her, but out of fear of herself.

Before she even realized where she was going, she had wound up outside Dumbledore's door. To her surprise, the door swung open to reveal the future headmaster and Lyra felt the tears she had been keeping inside roll down her cheeks at last.

* * *

Dumbledore sat absolutely still, his blue eyes pensive and without their usual twinkle as Lyra recounted what little she could of her story without breaking the vow of secrecy she had made to Tom or mentioning she was actually from the future. Granted...this wasn't much, but it was still enough to lift some of the weight she had been feeling. She told him her parents had been murdered by Grindelwald, she told him Tom espoused much of the same ideology of Grindelwald, that he sometimes reminded her of the dark wizard, and she told him they had been fighting since day one. And then she told him about the Cruciatus curse.

"You can expel me if you want, professor." Lyra said at last, "I deserve it."

Dumbledore was silent for another moment before he leaned forward and pushed a bowl of lemon drops towards her. "Do you want a lemon drop?"

Lyra tried to hide her confusion and shook her head, "No. Thank you." She managed.

"I must confess I am not surprised to hear of your animosity with Mr. Riddle." Dumbledore began slowly, and Lyra felt her stomach flip. Did he know something?

"Never have I ever seen Mr. Riddle treat someone with quite as much coldness as he treats you. Myself excluded, that is." Dumbledore continued.

"Why is that, professor?" Lyra asked, "Why does he treat you coldly?"

Dumbledore sighed, "I believe it is because he thinks I distrust him."

"Do you...distrust him?" Lyra asked, and Dumbledore examined her for a moment with his piercing blue eyes.

"Mr. Riddle, as I am sure you must know, goes to great lengths to ensure his reputation remains that of a quiet, charming, and well-behaved student. What you said about him tonight enraged him because it called into question the narrative he has been constructing about himself. You, as someone who has knowledge of his true nature, are a threat to him because you have the power to reveal what lies behind the mask he wears. I do not trust him because I too know what lies behind his mask."

"How do you know?" Lyra asked, "All the other professors...they love him."

Dumbledore sighed, "Intuition, you could say. I am, in my not so humble opinion, an excellent judge of character."

Lyra nodded, thinking this over. She had the feeling he was purposefully leaving certain details out. She wondered whether it was really just intuition that made him distrust Tom or whether he had some kind of evidence against him.

Lyra's memory returned to the image of Tom, lying crippled on the ground, screaming in pain and she felt another wave of guilt wash over her. She was the one wearing a mask. Only, she had managed not just to fool the world, but even to fool herself.

She was capable of going through with the act of murdering him, she knew that now. The question that remained was _should_ she kill him. She had been blinded by pain and it had taken the shock of seeing Tom in absolute agony for her to realize what she had become in her quest for vengeance. She felt shame burn her up inside as she thought of what her parents would think if they could see her now.

"If you had the opportunity to go back in time and kill Grindelwald before he rose to power, would you take it?" Lyra asked suddenly, and Dumbledore looked up at her, his blue eyes searching her face.

"Why do you ask this?" Dumbledore replied and Lyra shrugged.

"He killed my parents. Every now and then I think about what could have been done to prevent him ever becoming what he is now." Lyra replied.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment and Lyra thought he looked rather tired and sad.

"No. I would not kill him. I would attempt to persuade him to choose another path, however. Unfortunately, I fear nothing could have swayed him from the path he was on, even way back then."

"Back then? Did you know him when you were younger, sir?" Lyra asked and Dumbledore sighed sadly.

"Yes, I knew him quite well actually." He said simply, before shaking his head and smiling.

"Well I do believe you ought to be getting to bed seeing as curfew was over an hour ago. However, I cannot let a student perform an unforgivable on another student without some kind of punishment. How do you feel about joining me after dinner on Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of the semester? I'm sure we can find something useful for you to do while you're here." Dumbledore proposed.

Lyra nodded, "That sounds great professor. Thank you."

"Also, unless Mr. Riddle decides that it be otherwise, this incident will remain between us. I see no reason to tell anyone else as I can tell you are appropriately sorry for your actions and are not likely to repeat your mistake again."

"Thank you, sir. Yes, I- I- mean I, no, I will not make the same mistake again." Lyra stuttered, her emotions a twisted mess of guilt and gratitude and confusion. She still had no idea what to do, she just knew she had to change her approach. Maybe she could persuade Tom to choose another path...but that seemed just about as likely as Dumbledore persuading Grindelwald to take up a career as a circus performer. What would Tom even do with his life if he didn't become Voldemort? Would he become Minister for Magic like everyone thought he would? Would he make some great discovery, push magic to its limits _without_ harming anyone and go down in history as one of the greatest wizards of all time? What a waste, Lyra realized, for Tom's abilities and intelligence to be wasted on his single-minded quest for power. He could be so much more than a dark lord, Lyra thought, feeling something akin to sadness that for once had nothing to do with her own grief.

"Very well then." Dumbledore said, jolting her out of her reverie and signalling the conversation was over, "I believe that settles it. I would advise you return to bed quickly before the next round of prefects pass by here and dock Slytherin more points. It would be such a shame if your house lost to Gryffindor again this year." Dumbledore finished with good-natured humour that made Lyra laugh.

"Don't worry, professor. We won't lose this year." She replied with the hint of a smirk, "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Ms. Reed. Sleep well." Dumbledore replied kindly.

* * *

By the time Lyra returned to her dormitory her roommates were already fast asleep. Slipping into bed as quietly as possible, Lyra stared up at the green tapestry of her four-poster bed, unable to sleep. Green. It was bloody green...just like the stone on her ring.

Was she really destined to fall in love with Tom Riddle? Was this her lesson in life? To learn to forgive the one who ruined her life? And if she did learn to love him, would he even be able to love her back? Would he still become Voldemort? Would it matter?

Lyra rolled over onto her side and curled up in a ball, wondering how she had managed to get herself into this situation. Only a Hufflepuff, Lyra thought ruefully, would be able to fall in love with someone as horrible as Tom Riddle. Was she even a Hufflepuff anymore though?

Lyra let out a sigh of exasperation and rolled back onto her back. Okay, she thought, new plan. Try to change Tom Riddle's path in life. If that fails, kill him. Closing her eyes, Tom's face, twisted in excruciating pain flashed behind her eyelids and Lyra tried to think of something else, anything else, but that.

An old Muggle saying floated to the front of her mind despite her best efforts. Wasn't it Nietzsche, that Muggle philosopher, who had said, "Whoever fights with monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process"? Had she become a monster just like him?

I'll apologize tomorrow, she thought. First thing.


	20. Lord Voldemort

**Here's the next chapter already! I ended up actually writing this one and the previous one as a single chapter and then realizing it was way too long. Thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

As her alarm went off the next morning, Lyra forced her heavy eyelids open. It had taken her nearly two hours to fall asleep. She was exhausted and not at all ready to face her roommates or Tom or the rest of Slytherin house for that matter, who were probably all gossiping about her outburst the night before. Perhaps they even knew about the Cruciatus Curse. Squeezing her eyes shut one last time, Lyra finally forced herself to sit up and pull back the curtains on her four-poster.

"Hey." Rosalie said, "How are you feeling?"

Lyra wanted to sink into her mattress and disappear from sight at the tone of concern in her friend's voice. She clearly had not heard what Lyra had done to Tom then.

"Don't worry, Druella and Olive are already gone." Elaina said, appearing in the door to the bathroom.

Lyra looked around to see that, indeed, Druella and Olive had already left and made her beds.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank Merlin. I don't know what came over me last night. Riddle has just been getting on my nerves and I was already annoyed. Druella and Olive were just the last straw. I'd better go apologize to Riddle."

Rosalie snorted in derision, "Apologize? I thought you summed him up pretty nicely. Although, it was slightly overdramatic and you may have left out the words, fake, manipulative, and deceitful."

Lyra shook her head, "No, it was wrong. I went too far."

Rosalie scoffed, "So what? That was the most satisfying moment of my life. Seeing that smirk wiped off his face and seeing him put in his rightful place."

Lyra fell silent and Elaina came to sit next to her, "I also think what you said was absolutely justified. I think you need to be careful, from now on though. He's going to want revenge."

Lyra shrugged, "Whatever. Let him have it."

"No, Lyra, I don't think you know what I mean." Elaina said, an edge of concern to her voice, "Riddle isn't what you think he is, I've said this before but-"

"I'm pretty sure Riddle is exactly what I think he is, as evidenced by my eloquent speech last night." Lyra cut in, but Elaina merely shook her head.

"He's worse." She said seriously, "Trust me."

Lyra stared at her grandmother, wondering for not the first time just how much she knew about Tom and his gang. How much had Lestrange told her?

"Okay." She said finally, to appease her.

As the three of them made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Lyra wrung her hands, imagining all the horrid ways her apology to Tom could go wrong. However, to both her consternation and relief, Tom wasn't at the Slytherin table. He probably woke up early to eat alone again, Lyra thought to herself, I'll just apologize to him after breakfast.

"After breakfast", however, soon turned into "at lunch" as Lyra was unable to find Tom anywhere - not even in the library. "At lunch" then soon turned into "at dinner" as he had apparently decided to skip lunch. It was not until she arrived at the Slytherin table for dinner and found him missing for the third time that Lyra's puzzled confusion turned to actual worry.

His "friends", if they could be called that, were all acting normal, as if nothing were going on. Lyra stared at them, laughing and joking around with one another and felt a prickle of annoyance. Did they not _care_ that their friend was missing? Or did they know where he was...

Sliding down the bench towards Abraxas, Cygnus and Eridanus, Lyra heard their conversation come to an abrupt halt as they stared at her apprehensively.

"Where's Riddle?" She asked, trying to keep her tone casual.

"Why do you care?" Cygnus asked harshly, and Lyra struggled to come up with an answer.

"I just need to talk to him, that's all." She said, "He hasn't been at breakfast, lunch or dinner, nor has he been in the common room or library all day."

At this Cygnus raised an eyebrow, "So the rumours are true. You actually do stalk him."

"I'm not _stalking_ him," Lyra retorted angrily, "I need to tell him something important and I can't _find_ him."

"I think she's a little obsessed, don't you Abraxas?" Cygnus joked, a mischievous smirk on his face.

Abraxas merely snorted in reply, and Lyra let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Just would you please tell him I have something urgent to tell him if you see him?" Lyra asked pleadingly and Cygnus turned him mocking eyes back on her.

"I will tell him you send your love, if that's what you mean." He said and Lyra rolled her eyes, sliding back down the bench towards Rosalie and Elaina before she lost her patience with the snake.

"What was _that_ about?" Rosalie asked when she returned.

"I just wanted to talk to Tom about what happened yesterday and he's disappeared. I haven't seen him all day." Lyra explained, "I just thought they might know." She said, nodding in the direction of the Slytherin boys.

Looking over at Elaina, Lyra caught the slightest look of concern on her face before she quickly looked down at her plate, focusing intently on cutting her chicken. Lyra froze. She had completely overlooked the fact that Tom had not been the only Slytherin boy to have disappeared for the day. Cepheus Lestrange was also absent and Elaina had been curiously silent about the fact.

Lyra looked up and stared at her grandmother. "Where's Cepheus, Elaina?" Lyra asked, watching as Elaina stiffened imperceptibly but kept cutting her chicken as if nothing were the matter.

After a moment she looked up and shrugged, "Not sure. Probably off snogging his Ravenclaw girlfriend. Why do you ask?"

Lyra stared at her grandmother, shocked at the obvious blatant lie that had just come out of her mouth. She knew. Cepheus was almost certainly off doing Tom's bidding and Lyra knew exactly what one thing Tom wanted at the moment...

"I have to go." Lyra said, jumping up and not even bothering to explain herself to her shocked friends before rushing out of the Great Hall.

A distraction. Tom had said they needed a distraction to pull Grindelwald's men away from the ring long enough for Tom to get a good look at the curse on it. Was Cepheus that distraction? Were they at the shack already? She would have to find out.

Lyra's heart beat faster as she ran up the stairs towards the passageway that led out of the school. She had only gotten a few stories up when she heard a voice call out to her from behind. Turning around, Lyra saw Elaina panting as she ran up the stairs towards her.

"Lyra! Stop. Wait. Just. Wait." Elaina panted and Lyra stopped despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins that screamed at her to continue and find Tom and Cepheus before something went terribly wrong.

"What?" Lyra asked, as Elaina reached her.

"Where are you going?" Elaina asked her, concern etched on every inch of her face.

"I'll explain later, I really have to-" Lyra turned to leave when Elaina grabbed her wrist.

"No. You explain now." She said in a firm tone Lyra had never heard her use before. "I know there is something going on between you and Riddle."

"Listen. Yes. You are right." Lyra admitted, "I will explain everything when I get back but right now I need to go. I don't have _time_."

"You're not-" Elaina began, a slight tremor to her voice, "You're not part of-"

Realizing what she was implying Lyra felt a jolt of revulsion, "No. No I am not part of his "gang" or whatever it is." Lyra said, "I'm sure Cepheus could have told you that much." She added sharply and Elaina made no reply.

"But I need to go. They might be in danger." Lyra said and Elaina's face paled.

"Then I'm coming with you." She said and Lyra shook her head vehemently. "No, you can't. Whatever Cepheus told you...he wasn't supposed to. If you come, Riddle will know Cepheus betrayed him."

Elaina nodded slowly, her face twisted with concern, "Okay." She said at last.

"Okay." Lyra agreed, "I'll be back as soon as possible." She assured her, before turning to run up the stairs as fast as possible.

Reaching the tunnel, Lyra looked around herself quickly to make sure she was alone before ducking into the tunnel and closing the entrance behind her. She ran down the tunnel so fast she nearly tripped multiple times, finally stumbling out into the cool crisp air outside Hogsmeade. Imagining the grove of trees Tom had brought her into when she had been splinched, Lyra turned on the spot, apparating successfully this time in the middle of the grove of trees.

It was already dark and Lyra squinted through the darkness of the forest to see if anyone was around. Her heart pounding in her chest, Lyra tiptoed towards the edge of the treeline, staring out across the field that separated the forest from the shack. Seeing nothing, Lyra was about to disapparate when a bright light flashed to the far right of the field followed by an unmistakable human scream.

Without thinking, Lyra ran towards the source of the light, reaching the treeline on the opposite side of the field and hiding behind a tree as she caught a glimpse of three wizards arguing among themselves.

"There's nothing here." Lyra heard one man say, "Have you lost your mind?"

"I know what I saw." Another replied defensively.

"You're absolutely mental." A third cut in, "I can't-"

His words died in his throat as something that looked horribly like a walking corpse entered Lyra's field of vision.

"Do you see that!?" The one who had been doubted before asked, as the corpse approached.

The first man began shooting curses at the corpse until the third man pleaded him to stop, "No, it's her! Don't you see? It's her! It's Mary!" He screamed, his voice nearing hysteria as he stared in paralyzed fear at the corpse.

"That's not your wife, that's an inferi." The other retorted, but the man could not be persuaded and instead collapsed to his knees, shaking uncontrollably.

"No." The second man breathed, staring at something on the edge of the far treeline. "No, it can't be."

"What are you-" The first man began, but his companion had already began running towards whatever he had seen, collapsing on the ground beside whatever it was and howling with grief.

They're boggarts, Lyra realized with a start, watching as even the third man lost his nerve as the tall figure of Grindelwald stepped out of the shadows. Lyra turned, running away from the scene, back up towards the shack. If Grindelwald's guards were distracted by boggarts, then chances were Tom was already at his uncle's shack. Slowing down as she reached the entrance, Lyra pulled open the door of the shack quietly, cringing internally at the dead snake nailed to the door. Tom's family sure knew how to decorate.

Stepping inside, Lyra looked around to find herself in a dingy deserted kitchen, replete with unwashed dishes, mouse poop and a copy of the Daily Prophet, scrunched up into a ball. Walking forward as quietly as possible, Lyra made her way into the bedroom where a trap door had been left open.

"Riddle?" She called out and was met with only silence.

Tiptoeing towards the trap door, Lyra was about to peer down when she heard the door to the shack open and close. Lyra froze. Someone else was in the shack. Edging towards the door, Lyra peered out into the kitchen, where she found none other than Tom Riddle examining his uncle's kitchen with disgust.

But then if Tom was in the kitchen...who had opened the trap door?

Lyra screamed as the head of a man appeared out of hole in the ground, followed closely by a jet of green light that she narrowly escaped.

"Stupefy!" Lyra screamed, and the man deflected her spell easily. Before he could curse her again, Lyra ran out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, running straight into Tom who had come to see what was going on.

"Reed!?" Tom cried as she ran into him and Lyra pulled him away from the door to the bedroom.

"There's a man." She whispered frantically, and Tom shook her off him forcefully as the man emerged.

"Well would you look at that." The man said, smirking as he leaned in the frame of the doorway to the kitchen. "Looks like my friends have fallen for the tricks of a couple of students. That is quite embarrassing."

Lyra pointed her wand at the stranger, her hands shaking as she gripped the counter behind her with her other hand. She looked over at Tom, who unlike her, did not seem scared at all of the man in front of him. Instead, he seemed rather annoyed.

"Well it is comforting to know that not all of Grindelwald's army can be fooled by boggarts." Tom drawled lazily, as he assessed the man in front of them.

The man raised an eyebrow, "And what is your name, boy?" He sneered.

"Lord Voldemort." Tom replied, " _Avada Kedavra_!" He shouted, sending a jet of green light towards the man before he realized what was happening.

Lyra screamed as the man's eyes opened in shock before his body hit the ground with a thud. Still shaking from the close brush with death, Lyra turned to stare at Tom, who was glaring at her.

"How did you know to come here at this time?" He asked sharply, and Lyra struggled to regain her voice.

"You killed him." She breathed, staring at the immobile form of the man on the ground. She knew she shouldn't be surprised, she knew what Tom was capable of, she herself had been capable of murder...but even so, the ease with which Tom had killed the man without a trace of remorse had greatly unnerved her. She had spent the entire day regretting her treatment of him and wanting to _apologize_ to him. Now, suddenly, Lyra didn't feel so bad about her treatment of him.

"Brilliant observation." Tom snarled, stepping over the body of Grindelwald's follower and entering the bedroom. Lyra hesitated, before following him; wincing as she stepped over the dead body.

By the time she entered the bedroom, Tom was already descending the steps into the room below the trap door and Lyra followed quickly, nearly falling on the steps in her hurry.

Tom was already bent over a desk on which the ring could be seen with his wand out. Lyra came up behind him and watched over his shoulder as he muttered incantations, moving the ring around with his wand. Lyra waited in silence until he finished, his face contorted with a look of frustration.

Removing an ornate box from the pocket of his robes, Tom carefully levitated the ring into the box and closed the lid, sealing it with a magical incantation before replacing it in his robes.

"How did you do that? Grindelwald couldn't even move it with the use of magic how did-"

"The problem Grindelwald faced was transportation. You can't apparate holding an object by magic and any substance the ring touches becomes infected with the curse. I found a box that contains the curse." Tom replied somewhat smugly.

"Where?" Lyra asked.

Tom merely snorted, turning to go back up the steps. "Come." He said sharply, and Lyra glared at his back.

"I'm not your dog." She said waspishly, following him up the stairs.

"Then why do you follow me around all the time?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow as he stood in the doorway to the bedroom and watched her struggle to climb out of the hole.

Lyra merely glared at him, and Tom smirked, leading the way out of the shack and into the field outside.

"My lord." Cepheus said, emerging from the shadows as they closed the door to the shack behind them.

His eyes opened in surprise when he saw Lyra. "What is she-" He began, before Tom cut him off.

"Did they see you?" He asked, sharply.

"No, my lord." Cepheus replied, still clearly confused by Lyra's presence.

"Good." Tom replied, fixing Cepheus intently in what Lyra understood to be an attempt to read his mind. Satisfied, Tom nodded, "You may go."

"Yes, my lord." Cepheus replied, bowing his head respectfully before disapparating.

Tom turned to Lyra, giving her a look, before disapparating. Lyra rolled her eyes and followed, landing outside the tunnel. Cepheus was nowhere to be seen, and Lyra guessed he had already entered the tunnel back to Hogwarts.

"Explain yourself." Tom snapped, turning on Lyra at last.

Lyra sighed, unsure where to begin. "You disappeared for an entire day. I knew Cepheus was with you because he was also missing. I knew you were obsessed with finding that ring so I put two and two together and guessed you were at the shack."

"Did I not make it very clear I do not want you involved in my affairs?" Tom ground out and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Did I not make it very clear I don't care what you want." Lyra replied, turning to reenter the tunnel when Tom stopped her, actually grabbing her wrist.

"You think you have immunity. You think you can say what you want to me and do what you want but-"

"I'm sorry." Lyra said before she even knew what she was saying, "I'm really sorry about- about yesterday."

Tom stared at her, his dark eyes impassive. Whatever he had expected her to say, it was this. "The only reason I noticed you were gone all day today was because I was trying to find you to apologize."

"To apologize." Tom repeated, clearly unconvinced.

"Yes." Lyra said, "And then when I realized where you were I was worried."

At this Tom laughed darkly, "You were worried, were you? About my _safety_?" He sneered, "I know you are terribly fond of lying but really, shouldn't you try to at least make your lies a little more convincing."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "No, I wasn't worried about _you_." She said, although a small part of her that Lyra wished would just shut up begged to differ, "I was worried about Cepheus. He's friends with Elaina and I didn't want-"

"You thought I was using Cepheus as bait to distract Grindelwald's men." Tom concluded, and Lyra nodded.

"I see." Tom replied, falling silent.

"Lord Voldemort." Lyra said, breaking the silence. "That's who you want to be."

Tom looked up and glared at her, "That's who I _am_."

"Why don't you want to be Tom Riddle?" Lyra asked.

"Tom Riddle is the name of a filthy Muggle." Tom snarled.

"No, Tom Riddle is the name of a wizard who was so bloody smart and cunning that he managed to become Head Boy of Hogwarts." Lyra retorted, crossing her arms against the cold. "It's your name too, not just your father's."

"I was named after my father. It is _his_ name that I was given." Tom argued, "It is bad enough his blood runs through my veins I won't have his memory honoured every time someone speaks my name."

Lyra fell silent, understanding where he was coming from. If her father had abandoned her, she would not want to be reminded of him each time her own name was used.

"Why not go by Marvolo?" Lyra asked, and Tom shook his head.

"He was a descendent of Slytherin but he lived like a swine." Tom replied, before turning and writing his name, "Tom Marvolo Riddle" in the air. With a swish of his wand, the letters rearranged themselves to form the sentence, "I am Lord Voldemort."

Lyra stared in surprise, in all the research she had done on him, she had never realized his name itself was a riddle. She looked over at Tom to find him already examining her intently, his expression unreadable as always.

"You killed someone today and it didn't bother you." Lyra said, and the letters in front of her dimmed and faded, falling to the ground as ash.

"You will tell no one." Tom said sharply, "Because doing so would hinder my possession of the Deathly Hallows."

Lyra snorted, "I won't tell anyone. What I'm concerned about is the fact that you don't _care_."

Tom snorted, "Why should I care? I didn't know him."

"If you had known him, would you have cared then?" Lyra asked, already knowing the answer.

Tom eyed her sharply, hesitating before answering, "No. I would not have."

Lyra looked up, meeting Tom's gaze that seemed to dare her to condemn him or question him further.

Lyra merely nodded, turning to leave.

"The curse is exceedingly complicated. It is similar in it's properties to a blood curse." Tom said and Lyra froze. Was he actually willingly giving her information on the ring?

"Your friend...Selwyn. Her mother is dying of a blood curse. Surely there is a way to break it?" He asked, an edge of desperation to his voice, and Lyra turned around to look at him. Was he actually _asking_ for her help?

"There is a way." Lyra replied, "It has to be broken by the descendant of the one who placed the curse. However, in Elaina's case, none of the living descendants of the one who placed the curse are willing to break the curse because the punishment for doing so is living without magic for the rest of their lives."

Tom was silent for a moment as he took in this new information, "Is this the case for all blood curses?"

"I don't know." Lyra replied honestly, "Maybe."

Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Maybe isn't good enough. I need to know for sure. If this is the case then the curse on the ring can only be lifted by the caster themselves...or perhaps any children or grandchildren they may have."

"We don't even know who cursed the ring in the first place." Lyra lamented, and Tom's face darkened.

After a moment of silence he looked at her, "I sometimes wonder if it was you."

Lyra raised her eyebrows in surprise, "Me?" She asked, incredulously.

"You and your parents were the only one who knew about the ring, as far as I know." Tom replied, "But if you had really cursed the ring you would not have told me that." He said, assessing her carefully.

"Whoever cursed the ring knew what it was," Lyra said quietly, "And they didn't want anyone to take possession of it. If they find out you have it now...what if they come after you?"

Tom made no answer, and Lyra felt a chill run up her spine. Hogwarts was safe, but was it safe enough? Lyra wondered if they were about to find out.

* * *

 **Next chapter will have some more Tom POV since I realize it's been forever since it's been written from his perspective.**


	21. I remember

**Hey everyone! Thanks once again for the reviews! Elle Light, your long reviews make me so happy :D**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

The moment they entered the Slytherin common room, Lyra immediately felt the gaze of a pair of piercing blue eyes. Whispering goodbye to Tom, who headed directly for the stairs to his dormitory, Lyra made her way over to Elaina. Her favourite grandmother was sitting by the fireplace, holding her Defence Against the Dark Arts textbook in her lap and staring at Lyra. As Lyra neared her, she stood up, closing her book quickly and tucking it into her bag.

"Not here." Elaina said curtly, pushing past Lyra towards the stairs to the girls' dormitory, "Rose is in the library scrambling to finish a last minute assignment due tomorrow morning and I don't know whether you saw but our other two lovely roommates are over in the corner sticking their tongues down Cygnus and Abraxas's throats so I really think our dorm is the best place to be at the moment."

Elaina paused in front of the door to their dorm, looking back expectantly at Lyra as she pushed open the door and entered the room. Lyra followed, turning back to cast silencing spells on the door before turning back to look at Elaina.

"Okay what do you want to know?" Lyra asked, figuring this whole thing might be easier if Elaina were the one to ask the questions rather than Lyra voluntarily provide information.

"Well how about, where were you tonight?" Elaina asked rather sharply.

Lyra sighed, she had barely had any time to piece together a cohesive story that would leave out the fact she was Elaina's granddaughter from the future, that Tom was a psychopathic murderer, and that she was trying to stop him from taking over the wizarding world and killing Elaina's daughter under the pretense of helping him find the Deathly Hallows and bringing down Grindelwald.

"Well..." Lyra began slowly, "I was with Riddle. And Cepheus." She added.

Elaina rolled her eyes impatiently, "I didn't ask who you were with, I asked where you were?"

"Tom's uncle's house." Lyra replied quickly, and Elaina's eyes widened.

"Why?" Elaina asked.

"Tom's uncle killed his father." Lyra began, the lie tasting bitter on her tongue, "He's now in Azkaban for the murder so Tom took this opportunity to visit the house where his mother grew up."

"You're telling me he was nostalgic for his dead mother?" Elaina sneered, as if this was the most preposterous thing she had ever heard.

"No," Lyra replied quickly, "His mother left in her will some items that were never given to him and he had reason to think they were in his uncle's cabin."

"What items? And did they find them?" Elaina asked.

"No. They didn't find anything." Lyra lied.

"If they were just going to find these "items", "Elaina said suspiciously, "then why were you so scared when you realized where they had gone? And why were they gone all day?"

"I was scared _because_ they had been gone all day." Lyra replied, slightly unnerved by how easily the lies rolled off her tongue, "I knew they were planning on going today but I thought they would be back within a few hours."

"At breakfast you were trying to find Riddle." Elaina pointed out.

"Yes, I didn't know they were going to leave so early." Lyra explained.

"Right." Elaina said, still clearly unconvinced, "And why _were_ they gone all day then?"

"They couldn't apparate there because Tom had never been there so he could not envision it. They had to apparate to London, go to Diagon Alley and floo to a nearby village and then walk for 4h to Tom's uncle's village because they didn't want to just floo into some Muggle's fireplace. Then once they got there it took them a while to find the cabin - they had to even ask some Muggles. Then when you factor in lunch and the time it took for them to tear apart the cabin enough to make sure there wasn't anything hidden in it, it was nighttime."

"And how did _you_ know how to apparate to Tom's uncle's cabin?" Elaina asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've been there before?"

"Yes." Lyra replied, drawing a surprised look from Elaina, "My parents investigated Tom's father's murder on their own. That's really all I can say about that."

"Your parents investigated the murder of Tom's father?" Elaina asked, disbelief and suspicion filling her pale face. "Did you know Tom...before you came?"

Lyra sighed, "I knew of him. Through my parents' work. That is all I can say."

Elaina stared at her in silence, evidently trying to determine how much of what Lyra had said was true. "Does Tom know this?"

"Yes." Lyra replied. "It's the reason he hates me and I'm really sorry 'Laina but I can't say any more."

Elaina was silent for another moment before looking up at Lyra and examining her face carefully, "You're a good liar." She said softly, and Lyra felt her insides turn to mush.

"I'm not lying, 'Laina." Lyra protested, "I just can't say anymore because-"

"I have been in Slytherin house since I was eleven. My best friends and my least favourite people in the world are in this house and thanks to them, I have learned to tell the difference between a lie and the truth." Elaina cut in, and Lyra closed her mouth and listened warily.

"Luckily, being in Slytherin has also made me a good judge of character. You probably have a great reason for lying to me. As for whatever it is you and Riddle are up to, the fact that he hates you is reassuring. However, I am worried, Lyra. I'm worried you don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"What has Cepheus told you?" Lyra asked, "About Riddle?"

Elaina bit her lip, clearly debating whether to warn Lyra or keep the secret she was holding onto. "Cepheus is like a brother to me." She said at last, a hint of sadness in her voice, "and I've watched Riddle twist him into something he's not."

"He is a monster." Elaina said, hatred dripping from every word, "He destroys everything and _everyone_ he touches."

"What do you mean "destroys"?" Lyra asked, hoping she could coax Elaina into revealing the secrets she was holding onto.

Elaina shook her head, "Just- just be careful."

Lyra frowned, disappointed, and nodded. "I will."

* * *

The next morning, Lyra hauled herself out of bed still half asleep and forced herself to go through her morning routine. Elaina and Rosalie had clearly decided to let her sleep in and were already gone. As she made her way downstairs, Lyra spotted Cepheus lounging on the couch in the common room. Seeing as no other 7th years were around, Lyra slid onto the couch next to him.

"What did you tell Elaina?" Lyra asked quietly, staring at the Slytherin boy with an intensity that made him straighten up and raise his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" Cepheus asked innocently.

"You know what I mean." Lyra replied, giving him a withering look.

Cepheus scoffed, "Uh, no I don't."

"Listen," Lyra whispered, "If you tell Elaina where we were yesterday I will tell Riddle you've been spilling his secrets."

Cepheus's face darkened, "I don't know what secrets you think I have spilled, but for your information, no, I am not planning on telling her anything about yesterday."

"Good." Lyra said nodding and standing up.

"How did you find us yesterday?" Cepheus asked suddenly, and Lyra shook her head.

"Ask Riddle." She replied simply, knowing he probably never would.

* * *

Tom felt his usual prickle of annoyance as Lyra once again sat herself down at his table in the corner of the library uninvited but for once, he held his tongue. He could not deny that the girl was useful, as annoying as she was. Her connection with Elaina Selwyn could be the stroke of luck that enabled him to break the curse on the ring; she was therefore an asset he couldn't afford to lose just yet. If this meant putting up with her irritating presence for a while, Tom supposed it was worth it.

"Did you find anything?" Lyra asked, sliding into the chair next to him. It was well past dinnertime and Tom had been researching blood curses for over four hours.

"If I had found anything I would not still be in here, now would I?" Tom snapped, edging his book away from.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tom watched as Lyra rolled her eyes and then proceeded to unpack her bookbag. She proven to be quite different than he had originally believed, Tom thought silently. At first, he had thought her painfully ordinary, slightly scatter-brained, and over-emotional. Then, when her obvious hatred for him had caught his attention he had seen her through a lens of suspicion and increasing irritation. When his worst suspicions had been confirmed, he had come to hate her with an intensity that rivalled his hatred of Dumbledore and of the disgusting Muggles he had been forced to live with at the orphanage.

And then she had tortured him. Tom glanced over at her out of the corner of his eye once again as he thought of the look of pure hatred on her face when she had cast the spell. It was almost impossible to reconcile her gentle features and the contented expression she wore as she read her book next to him with the memory of her using the Cruciatus curse against him. It was almost as if multiple personalities were contained within her. Unlike him, her strange acts of kindness seemed to be genuine but just like him, she contained a kind of darkness that was capable of great destruction.

Evidently sensing his gaze, Lyra looked up and smirked at him. Tom felt annoyance course through him and he turned his attention back to his book. Blessed silence reigned between them for a moment before Lyra broke it, jolting Tom from his thoughts.

"Oh I almost forgot." Lyra said, bending down and reaching into her bag.

Tom raised an eyebrow, staring apprehensively at the girl in front of him as she pulled a piece of parchment out of her bag and pushed it towards Tom.

"I figure you'll probably change everything and think I'm an idiot after you read it but I didn't know what else to give you, so...I wrote your Transfiguration essay for you. Hopefully you didn't already do it..." Lyra trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable.

Tom stared suspiciously at the piece of parchment in front of him. What was the catch? Was she trying to frame him for plagiarism or breach of academic integrity? Had she charmed the paper to turn into gibberish the moment he handed the paper in to Dumbledore? Had she _cursed_ the paper to harm him the moment he touched it? Tom looked up into Lyra's eyes and tried to use Legilimency on her, but as per usual, her walls were too thick.

"What is this?" He asked, looking down at the paper with a mix of apprehension and disgust.

Lyra laughed, which only made Tom more suspicious, "I wrote your Transfiguration essay due on Thursday. As...you know...an apology. For...you know." Lyra stammered, and Tom frowned in confusion.

There was no way in hell this girl had spent hours out of her day writing his essay for him just because she felt _guilty_. No one did that. Tom had not even taken her apology the previous night seriously. At best, he assumed she was trying to placate him and at worst manipulate him in some way. This supposed apology gift was simply too ridiculous to be believed.

"You wrote me an essay as an apology." Tom stated dryly, raising his eyebrow in disbelief.

Lyra simply nodded, looking every inch the innocent schoolgirl that Tom knew she most definitely was not.

Removing his wand from his pocket, Tom glanced up once more at Lyra before pointing his wand at the parchment " _Revelio._ " He said, but nothing happened.

"What are you doing?" Lyra asked, looking at him as if he had lost his mind.

"What did you do to it?" Tom asked, losing his patience with her.

Lyra's eyebrows shot up in shocked confusion, "What do you mean what did I do to it? It's not _jinxed_ , Riddle. You have got to be the most paranoid person I have ever met."

"Says the girl who stalked me for weeks, threatened to send me to Azkaban, and then _tortured_ me." Tom growled, a feeling of pure revulsion forming in the pit of his stomach at the look of guilt that spread across her face. Why would she not just cut the act already? How long was she going to retain this guilty façade.

"That's why I wrote your essay for you." Lyra tried to explain, "It was the only thing I could think of that you might actually appreciate. I really don't know what came over me that day and I wish I had never-."

"Oh shut it, Reed." Tom snapped, pushing the piece of parchment towards her roughly, "You and I both know you enjoyed your little foray into the Dark Arts."

Lyra stared at him in shock and Tom felt his irritation bloom into full-fledged anger. Did she really believe he was stupid enough to fall for her act?

"Riddle, I didn't-" Lyra began, but Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, standing up to leave. He had to reserve some of his limited patience to deal with the other irritating people in his life.

"Riddle, look." Lyra said, standing up as well and gripping the table in front of her, "Look, in my mind."

Tom froze. Was she really offering him the chance to use Legilimency on her just to keep up her act? But Legilimency would not permit him to see something that was not there. Unable to resist the opportunity to get inside the mind of his enemy, Tom fixed his dark eyes on her lighter, more chestnut colored eyes, and concentrated.

Tom felt her defenses relax and before he knew it a screenplay of the previous night's events was playing out in his mind's eye. He saw himself, screaming with pain on the floor and pushed down the feeling of revulsion his disgusting display of weakness aroused in him. He concentrated instead on Lyra's emotions. Her thoughts themselves were muffled, and Tom wondered whether this was as a result of Lyra refusing to let him hear them or as a result of the emotion she was feeling in the moment. Her emotions, however, were clear as day and so _loud_ it was almost unbearable. He felt her rage mixed with grief mixed with a sadistic desire to inflict harm and then he felt these emotions stop abruptly, being replaced with shock as Lyra lowered her wand and stared at Tom's broken figure on the ground. The intense wave of guilt, pity, and grief that followed made Tom feel so nauseous he quickly pulled himself out of her mind, staring in shock at her face instead.

Lyra stared back at him, his hazelnut eyes brimming with echoes of the emotions Tom had just felt through her mind and Tom felt a wave of revulsion come over him. She did feel guilty and even worse, she _pitied_ him, Tom realized angrily. She thought he was weak. She thought she had broken him; hurt him.

"Keep your paper." Tom managed to ground out, before turning on his heel in the hopes of getting as far away from her as possible before he lost his self-control and broke his end of the unbreakable vow.

* * *

After Tom left, Lyra had tried to put his irritating reaction to her well-intentioned apology gift out of her mind, throwing herself into her research. Lyra remained in the library until curfew, scanning old books for information on blood curses that could help Tom remove the curse on the ring or help Elaina remove the curse on her mother. Everything she read seemed to confirm her dreaded suspicion that the only way to remove blood curses was through following a procedure set up by the one who cast the curse and that this procedure that to be performed by a descendant of the caster themselves.

Sighing, Lyra swung her bag over her shoulder and made to leave the library when something small and furry assaulted her, nearly knocking her over in its attempted to climb up her legs.

"...Button!?" Lyra cried, bending to pick up her small pet. "How are you-"

Lyra's train of thought was interrupted as Button scrambled out of her arms, running towards the door of the library. Panicked and confused, Lyra ran after her, chasing her knarl through the corridors until she saw her beloved pet enter an empty classroom. Sliding into the deserted classroom, Lyra looked around anxiously for her pet, finally finding her hiding under a desk in the corner, shaking in fear.

Confused, Lyra crossed over to the other side of the room and picked up Button, stroking her knarl gently to calm her down as she looked around the empty classroom. Why had she ran all the way out here? She was usually so well-behaved...

Turning to leave, Lyra let out a small scream as she noticed she was not alone. Silhouetted against the moonlight coming from the window was the dark figure of Conan Devlin. Lyra let out a small laugh as her nerves settled.

"Oh. You scared me." Lyra breathed, staring in growing apprehension at the dark look on his face.

"Conan? What are you-" Lyra began, but Conan cut her off.

"I remember."

* * *

 **Little bit of dramatic effect there...;)**


	22. Welcome to the future

**All belongs to JK Rowling! Sorry this one took so long to get out! I've been pretty busy. Thanks for the reviews as always :D**

 **Also Elle Light that story about the orphanage is heartbreaking! :'(**

* * *

"You what?" Lyra asked, feeling a sense of dread come over her.

She had spent countless hours trying to figure out how to restore Conan's memory and now that he somehow miraculously remembered, she almost wished he didn't. He knew about Tom...how was Lyra supposed to gain Tom's trust when Conan could so easily mess everything up? He was a wild card in a game that was already risky enough.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Conan asked, betrayal evident in his voice, "Why didn't you tell me I had been obliviated?"

"I couldn't." Lyra replied hastily, "I made an unbreakable vow not to tell anyone about who was really responsible for Myrtle's death. Since you no longer remembered, I couldn't remind you without _dying_."

"Okay, that's fair." Conan conceded, "But then why didn't you try to break the spell?"

"I did!" Lyra exclaimed, trying to make him understand, "I did try. I didn't know how. Speaking of which, how did you manage to do it?"

Conan shrugged, "At Durmstrang, we learn these kinds of things in certain specialized upper-year courses."

"How did you know you'd been obliviated though?" Lyra asked.

At this, Conan's face darkened and Lyra noticed with a sense of shock that his hands were shaking. Conan fumbled in his pockets, producing a piece of folded parchment and handed it to Lyra.

Lyra felt her own hands begin to shake as she took in the meaning of the message.

 _It has come to my attention that not only have you failed to uphold your end of the bargain but that the object in question is no longer in its proper place. This leaves me with no other option than to remind you gently of the precariousness of your current position. Your sister is depending upon you for her freedom and if you do not deliver to me the stolen object, I will be forced to take extreme measures. Alternatively, if obtaining the object in question is too difficult a task for you to manage, I would be willing to settle for having a little chat with the boy in question._

 _I await your reply._

"The resurrection stone." Lyra breathed, her mind running a mile a minute. Grindelwald knew it was gone and from his message, he suspected Tom had taken it. But if Grindelwald captured Tom...Lyra shuddered to think what would happen. She had sworn to herself she would not kill him and handing him over to the darkest wizard of the time period was as good as breaking that promise. Even worse, it would be a breach of her unbreakable vow because it would interfere with his search for and possession of the Deathly Hallows. For both her sake and Tom's, she couldn't go through with this.

"What does this mean? It is no longer in its proper place?" Lyra asked, hoping she looked convincingly confused.

Conan narrowed his eyes at her, "I was hoping _you_ could explain that to me."

"I have no idea, but I am fairly certain Riddle was not the one to take it. I have been watching him carefully ever since he obliviated you and I think I would have noticed if he'd left the school." Lyra lied.

"So you're telling me that you think someone else stole the ring?" Conan asked, clearly unconvinced.

"Well we already know someone else knows about the ring. Riddle wasn't the one to curse it - I know this for a fact - and so it makes sense that he was also not the one to steal the ring. If the curse was so strong that even Grindelwald thought it was too risky to move it, then it makes sense that the person who cast the curse in the first place took it." Lyra explained.

Conan considered this, and for once the look of suspicion faded into one of contemplation.

"Maybe," He admitted, "But if that is the case, then the only way to get my sister back is to bring him Riddle."

"No." Lyra said, a little bit too quickly, and Conan narrowed his eyes, "I mean why would you do that when what Grindelwald really wants is the ring? If Riddle doesn't have the ring then Grindelwald will quickly realize this and be even more frustrated. Do you really think he'll release your sister then?"

"Well it is worth a shot isn't it?" Conan replied, "It's my sister, Lyra, I can't just sit by and do nothing!"

"Yes but maybe there's another way, we could-" Lyra began.

"You know it almost sounds as if you're protecting him." Conan accused, and Lyra felt her stomach flip.

"I'm not protecting him, I'm saying it doesn't make sense to give him to Grindelwald when that will not help Grindelwald find the ring." Lyra explained desperately.

"I had no idea you were so concerned with Grindelwald's success in finding the ring." Conan replied dryly, "I distinctly remember us having a conversation where we agreed to pitch Grindelwald and Riddle up against one another in the hopes of destroying one or the other in the process. Has something changed that I should be aware of?"

"No." Lyra replied, once again, a little too quickly, "Nothing has changed. I know Riddle is dangerous and I know what he has planned for his life, I just think we should go about this a different way."

"What did he tell you?" Conan asked, glaring at her, "What did he promise you to gain your loyalty?"

"You think he bribed me?" Lyra asked, genuinely offended, "Just because I'm against handing over an innocent boy to the darkest wizard of all time doesn't mean that I-"

"Innocent!? He's a murderer Lyra!" Conan cried, "Are you even hearing what's coming out of your mouth?"

Lyra opened her mouth to respond and no sound came out. Innocent? Tom certainly was anything but innocent. But did that mean he deserved to die?

"Listen." Lyra said, "We will get your sister back. I will help you, I just-"

"Want to do it without endangering Riddle." Conan finished for her, "Merlin Lyra, what are you in love with him or something?"

"Did you ever consider that just _maybe_ I'm just, oh I don't know, _not a monster_!?" Lyra replied scathingly.

"You tried to prove his involvement in the chamber of secrets. You agreed to work towards taking him down. You _hated_ him." Conan said, "What changed?"

"I realized that killing him made me no better than him." Lyra replied, "Murder is _wrong_ , Conan. There are other ways to ensure Riddle does not become Lord Voldemort instead of handing him over to Grindelwald."

"There are other ways?" Conan asked skeptically, "Like what, might I ask?"

"Oh, I don't know. Ever heard of the phrase, "use your words"?" Lyra asked sarcastically.

Conan snorted derisively, "You really think he is going to have a change of heart and suddenly stop being psychopathic just because you sit down and talk to him? I'm sorry, Lyra, but I really think Riddle is beyond that."

"Well if you want to hand him over to Grindelwald then you will do so without my help." Lyra snapped.

"You are either with me or against me on this one, Lyra." Conan said threateningly, and Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine.

Lyra stood still, staring at Conan, panic threatening to overwhelm her. If only there was a way to give Grindelwald the ring without breaking her vow to help Tom maintain possession of the Deathly Hallows, Lyra mused.

"Wait." Lyra said suddenly, a possibly insane idea forming in her mind. "How likely do you think it is that eventually, Grindelwald will kill Riddle over the resurrection stone."

Conan frowned in confusion, "Likely. But then again, Riddle is smart. Why are you-"

"What if I told you the truth?" Lyra asked, a rush of adrenaline coursing through her body at the possibility to solving this problem. While her plan was little less than impossible, Lyra clutched onto hope with all her might.

"Well that would certainly be unprecedented for a Slytherin." Conan replied dryly and Lyra felt a sting of hurt at his words.

"I'm not a Slytherin." Lyra replied, watching with a weird sense of amusement as his expression became even more confused.

"I was born in the year 1981. The same year a dark lord by the name of Lord Voldemort was defeated by an infant named Harry Potter." Lyra said slowly, a mischievous grin spreading across her face at the look of total confusion and apprehension of Conan's face.

"What are you talking about? Have you lost your mind?" Conan asked, and Lyra laughed, holding up her ring for him to see.

"If I take this ring off, I will disappear." She said, pulling the ring towards the end of her finger until the stone was just barely touching her skin.

"Lyra, what are you playing at?" Conan asked and Lyra gave him a sly smirk and held out her hand.

"Just take my hand and I'll show you." Lyra said and Conan stared at her hand as if it were a poisonous snake.

"I promise, it's not dangerous." Lyra said as sincerely as possible, smiling encouragingly at him.

Reluctantly, Conan reached out his arm and placed his hand in hers. With one gentle tug, Lyra slid the ring off her finger and before she could blink they reappeared in the middle of her childhood bedroom.

Only it wasn't exactly her bedroom...

"AHHHH!" A young girl no older than eight screamed, scrambling away from the two people who had just appeared out of thin air in the middle of her bedroom.

Immediately, Conan jumped away from Lyra, staring around himself in shock. "What- where- what..."

"Who are you!?" Lyra cried, staring around herself. The room was filled with a vast array of pink dolls and teddy bears and the walls were even painted a light shade of pink - very different from the soft blue Lyra had painted her room.

"Leah, honey, what's the-" A woman called out, opening the door. A look of utter confusion and fear filled her face as she took in the strangers in front of her.

"Um, we're uh, we'll be leaving now." Lyra stammered. Evidently, her trip to the past had changed a lot about the future. Her family evidently did not live in this house in this version of the future.

"Lyra!" Conan whispered to her, "Where are we?"

"Let's just disapparate." Lyra said. "Hold my arm."

Before Conan could respond, Lyra grabbed his arm and pictured her grandmother's front yard in her mind's eye. After one nauseating second, the two of them stumbled out in front of her grandmother's gated front yard. Looking around them cautiously to make sure they had not been seen, Lyra ran towards the gate and pulled open the latch. It was very possible she was about to enter another stranger's home, Lyra realized. In her own version of the future, her grandmother had died before she had gone to the past.

"Okay, enough, Lyra." Conan said, finally getting his wits about him enough to pull her arm away from the gate and confront her properly. "Where are we?"

"Welcome to the future." Lyra said with a wry smile. "The year 1997 to be exact."

Conan just stared back uncomprehending, "You're kidding."

"I really wish I was." Lyra said, thinking of her family home in the possession of that unknown family. What else had changed from the world she knew?

"You need to start explaining." Conan said, " _Before_ we enter another stranger's home uninvited."

"This is Elaina's house." Lyra replied, and Conan's eyes widened. "Well, it was in the future I knew. I don't even know if she's alive though."

"Elaina? She must be like, what, over 70?" Conan exclaimed, and Lyra nodded.

"How do you even know her?" Conan asked, confusion written all over his face.

"She's my grandmother." Lyra replied, her lips twitching into a smile at the look on Conan's face as she pushed the gate open and entered the garden.

"Come on." Lyra said, "If she's alive and still lives here she'll be able to tell us a lot about this world."

"This world? I thought you said you were from the future?" Conan asked as they walked up the rocky path to the front door.

"I obviously changed the future by going to the past. I have no idea to what extent though." Lyra replied, an uncomfortable feeling swirling in the pit of her stomach.

She had hoped, just briefly, that maybe she would return to find her parents alive and well and the world free of Voldemort. But arriving back home to find out that her home was, in fact, not her home had dashed any hopes of her world being untouched.

Lyra hesitated as she lifted her hand to pull on the brass knocker on the door. In true pureblood fashion, her grandmother had lived in this mansion of a home for as long as they could remember. That said, it looked like a cottage compared to the Malfoy's manor.

"Go on. Do it." Conan urged, and Lyra sighed, knocking on the door as hard as possible.

The fall wind in Norway blew through her hair and sent chills down her spine as Lyra waited nervously for someone to answer the door. At last, Lyra heard footsteps approaching the door. With her heart in the mouth, Lyra stepped back as the door swung open.

"Grandma." Lyra breathed, tears pricking at her eyes at the overwhelming sense of relief that washed over her. Perhaps this alternate future wasn't so bad if it had extended the life of Elaina Selwyn.

The old woman in front of them frowned, a look of utter confusion filling her wrinkled face. "Are you...are you really...Lyra? Lyra Reed?" She asked, her eyes flickering between her and Conan.

Something was off. Why would her grandmother refer to her by last name and why would she be so confused to see her?

"Yes, I'm your granddaughter. Remember?" Lyra tried desperately, but Elaina only frowned harder.

"Granddaughter? No. You disappeared. Not even half-way through our last year at Hogwarts." She said slowly, "And you." She said, squinting at Conan, "Are you that Gryffindor boy who disappeared around the same time?"

Conan nodded, and Lyra felt her heart sink. Evidently Elaina Selwyn did not even have a granddaughter named Lyra Reed in this version of the future. Did this mean she did not even exist in this world? If so, then how was she here? How had she not simply ceased to exist?

"Can we- can we come in?" Lyra asked tentatively, "I promise we'll explain everything."

"What she means is she'll explain everything." Conan corrected, "To both of us. I'm just as lost as you." He said as Elaina moved back to let them in.

"Absolutely." Elaina replied, "I'll make a pot of tea, shall I?"

Lyra laughed despite herself at the normalcy of drinking tea when she and her unwitting travel companion had just travelled over 50 years into the future and shown up at the house of their old classmate.

"Sure. Thank you." Lyra said, following the old woman into the kitchen she knew so well.

Elaina put the kettle to boil and then turned around to face them, looking at Lyra expectantly.

"Alright, well..." Lyra began, unsure of how to go about explaining everything. "Wait, first of all I just need to know something." She said, looking at Elaina intently, "Do you have a daughter named Miriam Travers?"

A look of shock, mingled with something akin to pain, filled her face, "Travers?" She asked, "No." She said somberly, "I have no children."

Lyra felt her throat constrict and tried desperately to keep the tears welling up in her eyes from spilling. So her mother had not even been born. Whatever she had done to the past had removed her and her mother from the timeline.

"Okay." Lyra said, fighting to gain control of her emotions as Conan and Elaina stared at her in confusion and worry. "Okay, I'm sorry. I'm going to explain everything."

With a deep breath, Lyra forced herself to calm down and then nodded. All would be alright in the end. All would be alright, she told herself firmly.

"It all started when I was a child in the basement of this very house." Lyra began.

And for the next hour she spoke nonstop, finally telling the story she had been holding onto for months.

* * *

 **I know it's unclear at the moment what Lyra's plan is and why she wanted to go back to the future but that is intentional. You will just have to wait and see what happens!**


	23. Dumbledore

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed you guys are amazing! Sorry this one took so long to write. Hopefully this chapter clears up a lot of questions you guys had about the last one!**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

"And so now we're here." Lyra finished, letting out a breath of relief. A hush of shocked silence fell over the room as Elaina and Conan took in the information they had just been given.

She had told her entire story from start to finish in all honesty - leaving out only the parts she was bound by oath to keep a secret.

"Sorry, I guess we forgot about the tea." Lyra said mutely, after a moment, realizing the pot of boiled water had probably gone cold during her long speech.

"You were supposed to be my granddaughter." Elaina said at last, staring at Lyra with a mixture of nostalgia and sadness.

"What happened?" Lyra asked, "Why didn't you have any children?"

"A few years after you two left, the war against Grindelwald escalated quickly. He invaded England and many were killed - including Frederic Travers - your grandfather I suppose..." Elaina explained, "I never married." She said shrugging, "I knew, thanks to that very stone in your hands, that Frederic had been the one I was supposed to love more than anyone else but I was robbed of my life with him."

"I'm so sorry." Lyra breathed, "If I had never gone to the past..."

"Sh, there's no need to think like that." Elaina admonished her, "I've had a great life regardless."

"Wait but you never explained why you decided to drag me into the future." Conan said after a moment of silence, "What is the point of all this? And when are we going back?" He asked, "We are...going back. Aren't we?"

"Right. Well, I thought that it might be easier to find the resurrection stone here than it would be to find it in the 40s. This is just because we can assume that whoever stole it back in the 40s also cursed it and that makes them dangerous. Whereas here, it might be a lot easier to find it." Lyra lied.

She of course, knew very well that Tom Riddle possessed the stone in the 40s and due to her vow to not interfere with his possession of the Deathly Hallows there was no way she could steal it and give it to Grindelwald to free Conan's sister. However, this left Conan with only one other option - handing over Tom himself - which Lyra had decided she could not agree to for the sake of whatever remained of her morality. However, if Tom was dead in the future, which looked as if it was very likely seeing as Grindelwald had been out to get him in the 40s, then she would be able to retrieve the resurrection stone and bring it back to the 40s and hand it over to Grindelwald without breaking her vow.

"What makes you think it is easier to find here?" Conan asked, frowning, "Do you know anything about the resurrection stone's whereabouts?" Conan asked Elaina.

The old woman paused, thinking, "I remember Grindelwald tried very hard to find it back in the 40s. As far as I know, he was unsuccessful, however."

"And Riddle? What happened to him?" Lyra asked, watching as Elaina shook her head.

"He was killed by Grindelwald around Christmas time the same year you two disappeared. It was unclear as to why he was a target." Elaina said, looking curiously at Lyra in a way that made Lyra think she suspected Lyra knew why Tom had been killed.

Lyra felt a rush of relief at the knowledge that Tom was, in fact, dead in this version of the future. This meant she would be able to retrieve the resurrection stone without breaking her vow. Ironically, it was Tom's death that would ensure his survival once Lyra found the resurrection stone and traded it in to Grindelwald in exchange for Tom's life.

"What happened to Grindelwald?" Lyra asked, "He didn't...win...did he?" She asked apprehensively.

To her great relief, Elaina shook her head, "No, of course not. Dumbledore defeated him eventually but it was a long war. In some ways, the Wizarding World is still recovering."

Lyra nodded slowly. This was good. This was very, very good. In this time period, the world was not ruled by a fascist dictator of any kind and if Grindelwald had not found the resurrection stone then it was likely Tom had hidden it somewhere before his death. Now all they had to do was figure out _where_.

"I just have one more question", Lyra said, suddenly remembering something she still did not understand, "How am I here?" She asked. "If I was never born in this world, then why did I not cease to exist the moment we arrived in the future?"

Elaina paused, thinking it through, "Well, I can't say for sure, but I think it is because you travelled through time through the stone. It is my understanding that if you had used a time-turner you would have ceased to exist. However, because you are using the Stone of Fate's Design, your existence is tied to Riddle's existence and you will always exist as long as he does."

"Wait but Riddle's dead." Lyra replied, frowning in confusion.

"Yes, but in the past he is not. He existed in the past and you are tied to this existence. The stone doesn't take into account time. It treats it as something that can be skipped through like the pages of a book." Elaina explained, and Lyra nodded slowly.

"So in a way, he saved my life." Lyra mused. The irony was unbelievable and Lyra felt the insane desire to laugh, despite the circumstances.

"You're not...actually...in love with him though right?" Conan asked, and Lyra turned to see a look of mingled disgust and apprehension on his face. "Just because the stone says you will love him doesn't mean you do...right?"

Lyra shook her head, "Of course I'm not in love with him. I just overcame my desire to murder him. I've merely decided he deserves a shot at redemption. Maybe, just maybe, he can be something other than...you know..." Lyra explained, shrugging.

Conan still looked uncomfortable with the whole idea but let it go with a shrug, "That's very generous of you." He replied with a snort, "I don't think the bastard is capable of anything other than evil."

"Well according to the stone he's capable of love so why not give him a chance." Lyra countered, suddenly feeling quite defensive. She was not being overly idealistic - she was quite certain of it.

Conan shrugged, still clearly unconvinced and Lyra turned back to Elaina, bristling with annoyance. "So is there any other information you can give us that can help us find this stone?" Lyra asked, and Elaina was silent for a moment, thinking.

"You may want to ask Dumbledore." She said after a moment, and Lyra mentally slapped herself. Of course Dumbledore would be the perfect person to ask. He knew both Tom and Grindelwald and Lyra would not put it past him to know about the Deathly Hallows as well.

"He's alive!?" Lyra asked, grinning despite herself.

"Of course." Elaina replied, "I don't think he'll ever die in all honesty."

Lyra laughed, "Where can I find him?"

"Hogwarts." Elaina said with fondness, "Where else?"

* * *

By the time they left Elaina's house, it was nearly midnight and Lyra wondered whether Dumbledore would even be awake when they came pounding on his door. Reaching the Hogwarts gates, Lyra removed her wand, casting her patronus into the air in front of her. A silver lynx sprang from the tip of her wand, looking back at Lyra for a moment before taking over to go send her message to Dumbledore.

"Do you think he'll even tell us where the resurrection stone is if we ask?" Conan asked.

Lyra shrugged, "Maybe when he hears it will liberate your sister he'll be more willing. I'm not sure he even knows where it is though..."

"He should at least know whether Grindelwald ever got his hands on it." Conan replied, and Lyra nodded, falling silent.

"Wait, who's that?" Conan asked, squinting through the darkness at the approaching figure in front of them.

Lyra stepped up to the gate and gripped the bars with her hands. "It looks like...it looks like Professor McGonagall!" Lyra breathed, feeling a rush of excitement seep through her. Some things about the future had obviously stayed the same.

"Well it is certainly very late for visitors, may I ask what it is you would like to see the Headmaster about?" Professor McGonagall asked, stopping in front of Lyra on the other side of the gate.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Lyra said, "It's very urgent and very private."

"I see." Professor McGonagall replied, fixing Lyra intently. At last, she relented, standing back and raising her wand until the heavy doors of the gate swung open.

Lyra exchanged a nervous look with Conan before following Professor McGonagall up the path leading to the giant castle. Despite being at her own school in her own time period, Lyra had never felt so alienated. She wondered which of her classmates existed in this world. Were there people who had been born in this world who had not been born in her own? The whole idea made Lyra feel slightly sick to her stomach.

As they entered the school, Lyra craned her neck, hoping to see a familiar face. Of course, most of the students were already asleep or at least in bed, but Lyra knew that Prefects stayed out, making their rounds until midnight. Lyra felt a pang of grief as she realized Astoria also did not exist in this world.

At last, they reached the Headmaster's office and climbed the circular staircase. Professor McGonagall rapped firmly on Dumbledore's door and Lyra's heart beat faster as the door swung open, revealing the grey-bearded, half-moon spectacled Dumbledore she remembered. Lyra glanced at Conan out of the corner of her eye and could tell he was fighting hard to contain his shock at the difference in appearance between the Dumbledore he knew and the one in front of him.

Dumbledore's eyes widened in surprise as he took in Lyra and Conan and he politely told Professor McGonagall that she was free to leave. With a curt nod and a slightly suspicious glance directed at the two time-travellers, Professor McGonagall left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Well this is a surprise." Dumbledore said, and Lyra couldn't help but laugh.

"So you remember us?" Lyra asked, hopefully. They had only been his students for a month and she had been worried he would not have known who they were.

"Your disappearance caused quite the uproar to say the least." Dumbledore replied, assessing them carefully over his half-moon spectacles. "However, judging by your age, it seems as if you have not been gone for long."

"We just left this evening actually." Lyra said, "And we're actually planning on going back once we've...found what we came to find." Lyra said cryptically.

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows, "Oh and what might that be?"

Lyra exchange a look with Conan before replying, "The resurrection stone."

The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes dimmed as his face darkened.

"We can explain." Lyra said, exchanging a nervous look with Conan.

"You see Conan's sister is - was - a prisoner of Grindelwald and unless we give Grindelwald the resurrection stone, he will kill her." Lyra explained, "Since the resurrection stone was cursed and stolen by someone back in the 1940s, we came to this time period to see if it would be easier to find it."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Why come to this time in particular?"

"Why not?" Lyra replied, shrugging. "We just turned the dial on the time turner to a random date."

"I see." Dumbledore replied, sighing, "And what makes you think I may know where the resurrection stone is?"

"You defeated Grindelwald, sir." Conan replied, "If Grindelwald ever got his hands on the stone then you would likely have known."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair, considering the two students over the rim of his glasses. "Grindelwald never found the stone. Your classmate Tom Riddle did." Dumbledore said, and Lyra tensed as she felt Conan turn to stare at her.

"I knew it!" Conan exclaimed, and Lyra frowned, pretending to be confused. "It had to have been him."

"It's so strange though." Lyra mused, "I never noticed him leave the school."

Dumbledore turned his blue eyes on her and Lyra had the uncanny feeling that he knew full well she was lying.

"I am not certain whether you are aware, but Mr. Riddle was killed by Grindelwald a few months after your disappearance." Dumbledore said and Lyra felt a chill run down her spine.

"He killed him over the resurrection stone." Lyra replied, nodding. "This is even more reason for us to find the resurrection stone and hand it over to Grindelwald."

"Hold on." Conan said, turning to Lyra, "Why don't we just steal the resurrection stone from Riddle and be done with it? We already know he must be keeping it in the castle somewhere. It would be so much easier."

Lyra twisted the hem of her sleeve around her fingers nervously, "It's cursed though, Conan. Grindelwald won't accept it like that."

"How do you know? His problem was transportation. Riddle obviously solved that problem. Perhaps he'd accept it even if it was cursed." Conan said hopefully, and Lyra scrambled to think of another excuse that would save her from admitting that she had made an unbreakable vow not to interfere with Tom's possession of the Deathly Hallows.

She turned to Dumbledore instead, "Do you have it though? The resurrection stone? If you knew Riddle possessed it then you must have found it." Lyra reasoned.

Dumbledore looked between Lyra and Conan curiously for a moment, before fixing his penetrating gaze on Lyra, "I do not think it is wise to give such a powerful object to a man such as Grindelwald." He replied. "You did not live through the war. You do not know the damage he inflicted."

Lyra felt a rush of indignation at this. If anyone knew the horrors of war it was her. "But if we don't give him the stone he will kill Conan's sister and Riddle." Lyra reasoned.

Dumbledore's eyes clouded over with regret at her words but he shook his head, "It is too great a risk."

Remembering the obvious dislike Dumbledore had harboured towards Riddle, Lyra felt her anxiety turn to annoyance. "Can you assure me your answer would not be different if it wasn't Riddle who was in danger?" Lyra asked, in a tone so rude that Conan turned to stare at her in shock.

A shadow fell over Dumbledore's face and he let out a sigh, "Mr. Riddle was a troubled boy..."

"And why do you think that was?" Lyra asked sharply, "You had the chance to reach out to him. You could have prevented him from becoming a- from becoming...what he was..." Lyra trailed off, her cheeks burning at her blunder. She had almost said the word "murderer".

A brief flash of annoyance passed behind Dumbledore's eyes before he composed himself and nodded slowly, "You may be right, Miss Reed." He said quietly, "But I cannot in good conscience endanger the lives of countless innocent people..." He trailed off, thinking deeply.

"Or at least, I cannot do so without sending with you another weapon even more powerful than a Deathly Hallow." Dumbledore said, his eyes lighting up for the first time since the beginning of their conversation.

Lyra frowned, "A weapon?"

"Yes, the most powerful weapon there is." Dumbledore said, smiling, "Knowledge."

"Knowledge, sir?" Conan asked, frowning in confusion.

Dumbledore made no reply, instead pulling out a piece of parchment out of his desk. He began writing on it, his writing disappearing the moment it touched the parchment. After a moment, Dumbledore rolled the piece of parchment into a scroll and handed it to Lyra. "Give this to my younger self when you return. I trust you not to try to read it." He said, winking.

"What is it, sir?" Lyra asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

"Just a little advice." Dumbledore said, smiling, and Lyra exchanged a confused look with Conan.

"Wait here, I will be back." Dumbledore said, standing up and walking over to one of the bookshelves on the far side of his office. Pushing it open, he disappeared inside what Lyra assumed must have been a secret room and emerged a few moments later, holding the very same box Tom had put the resurrection stone in.

Dumbledore made his way over to Conan and handed the box to him. "I sincerely hope you find your sister." He said, pressing the box into Conan's hand.

Conan looked like he was on the verge of tears but smiled nonetheless, "Thank you, sir." He said, opening the box to look at the ring inside.

"Is it still cursed?" Lyra asked, and Dumbledore shook his head.

"No, not anymore." He replied, and Lyra breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good. Thank you so much." Lyra said sincerely, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Not at all." He replied, "Now if you would like to stay the night, arrangements can be made."

Lyra shook her head, "No, I think we'd better get back." She said, looking over at Conan who nodded in agreement.

"Very well then." Dumbledore said, as Lyra and Conan made their way towards the door. "I suppose this version of my present-day self will cease to exist the moment you return to the past and change the future." He said, almost wistfully.

Lyra cocked her head to the side, thinking about the strangeness of time travel, "Yes, I suppose so." She agreed, "Sorry about that."

"Not at all, dear. If anything, I believe the change will be for the better." Dumbledore replied.

Lyra nodded, "I hope so." She said, pulling open the door to the stairway.

Conan followed her out, closing the door behind them. "Ready?" Lyra asked, holding her arm out for him to hold onto.

Conan nodded, "Ready." He said, and Lyra slipped the ring onto her finger.


	24. Eliza?

**Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

 **Elle Light, even though it took two chapters and seemed like forever, Lyra was only gone for a few hours so Tom didn't even notice she had left (sadly ;)).**

 **Skepticalfox, I am sorry for your heart attack! (But I am also happy you are invested in the story!)**

 **Also, just a general clarification: As opposed to a time turner, which can bring someone back to the exact moment they left their own time period, the stone that links Lyra and Tom makes time progress at the same speed for both of them regardless of where they are in the timeline. So when Lyra goes to the future for 5h, 5h has passed for Tom since she left as well. This is also why when Lyra was a child and she held the stone she was transported to Tom's childhood - whereas when she was 16 she was transported to his 16 year-old self.**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

It was past three in the morning when Lyra finally pushed open the door to the Slytherin common room. Her and Conan had been in the future for a grand total of 5 hours, but to Lyra, it seemed she had just returned from a long trip.

To her great surprise, Lyra entered the common room to find she was not the only one still up. A lone candle burned on the table in the corner, near the burnt-out fireplace, illuminating the features of a familiar dark-haired boy. Lyra felt her stomach flip flop as she remembered the fate Tom had just narrowly escaped. Just ten minutes ago, she had been in a future in which he was dead and now, here he was, sitting in the corner of the common room reading.

As the door closed behind her, Tom looked up, annoyance registering on his face as he recognized her.

"What are you doing awake?" Lyra asked, crossing the room towards him.

Tom frowned as she approached, clearly wishing to be left alone, "I could ask you the same thing." He replied dryly.

"I was...with Conan." Lyra admitted, unable to come up with a lie on the spot, "We were...talking."

Tom snorted, returning his attention to his book, "Talking." He repeated, mockingly. "10 points from Slytherin for "talking" past curfew."

He fell silent for all of one second before his head snapped back up and he stared at Lyra suspiciously, "Talking about what?" He snapped.

Lyra felt a shiver run through her. Things would not be good if he discovered Conan remembered. "About life. His sister, his family, home..."

"Did you, at any point in the discussion, mention my name?" Tom asked, clearly attempting to use legilimency on her.

Lyra strengthened her defenses and shook her head, rolling her eyes, "Why would we talk about you? Merlin, you really are self-obsessed." Lyra joked, but Tom did not look convinced.

"Riddle, I can't break my vow." Lyra reminded him, "I will tell no one about the murders and I will not interfere with your possession of the Deathly Hallows."

At this Tom snorted, "There are other ways you could betray me. Do not think I am not watching you carefully. I will know if you lie to me."

Lyra tried to quiet the voice inside her that said, _apparently not_ , and instead rolled her eyes.

"Are you still trying to find a way to break the curse?" Lyra asked, peering at the book in his hands.

Tom sighed in irritation and slammed the book closed. "I was." He replied dryly.

Lyra thought of the resurrection stone Conan was going to give to Grindelwald and wondered how Dumbledore had managed to break the curse. Had he discovered another way to break it without getting the one who cursed it to remove the curse? Or had he someone persuaded the caster of the curse to remove it? Or...Lyra felt a ripple of shock run through her...had _Dumbledore_ been the one to curse the stone?

Tom stood up, preparing to go to bed when Lyra stopped him, "Riddle." She said, grabbing his arm.

Tom flinched under her touch and pulled back his arm, "What?" He growled.

"Is it possible Dumbledore...was the one to curse the resurrection stone?" Lyra asked, staring at him as her mind was sent whirling.

Tom froze, his face deep in thought. "Why do you say that?" He asked sharply.

"Well for starters he hates you and we already know he suspects you were behind the Chamber or Secrets incident." Lyra explained, leaving out the actual evidence that had led her to this conclusion. "It wouldn't be too farfetched to think he went to check out the murder of the Riddles seeing as they were your only family. He may have found the stone and cursed it so that no one could take it."

Tom was silent as he stared at her, his face pale. After a moment, he picked up his book and strode off towards the dorms.

"Riddle?" Lyra called after him as she followed him, "What are you-"

Tom made no reply, pushing open the door to the boys dormitory and disappearing down the stairs without another word. Lyra stood rooted to the spot, fear at what he was planning to do coursing through her. She regretted telling him her suspicion already.

With shaking hands, Lyra pushed open the door to the staircase leading to the girl's dormitory only to hear the door to the boy's staircase open again. Lyra looked over in surprise to see Tom had returned and was standing in the doorway.

"You want to prove I can trust you?" He asked, and Lyra blinked, taken aback.

"Um...I guess." She stammered.

"Then I need you to do something for me. I will explain in Potions tomorrow." He said, "Don't be late to class like you always are. Set your alarm or get your idiotic roommates to wake you up but _be on time_."

Lyra stared at him as if he had three heads, beyond confused at his sudden change of demeanor. She did not know whether to be happy he was finally beginning to include her in his plans or to be very concerned since his plans were likely not anything she particular _wanted_ to be involved in.

Before she could respond, he had disappeared again and the door swung shut with a bang.

* * *

Following Tom's wishes, Lyra did set an alarm that night and when it went off well before she felt like getting out of bed, she dragged herself out of bed anyway. Curiosity was a powerful force, Lyra thought to herself.

She had gotten all of 3h of sleep that night thanks to her trip to the future, her talk with Tom, and her inability to fall asleep due to her curiosity over what Tom could possibly have planned. Feeling very much like a zombie, Lyra slowly dressed herself and ran a comb through her long tangled hair.

"You look like hell." Elaina commented, pulling her dark hair into a braid.

Lyra could not help but think back to last night's encounter with the Elaina from the future. She sincerely hoped she had changed the timeline by returning to the past and would be able to ensure Elaina ended up with her grandfather. Remembering the letter Dumbledore had given, Lyra made a mental note to stop by Dumbledore's office after Tom had finished using her for whatever scheme he had planned.

"I feel like hell." Lyra replied morosely, "I just want one day where I can _sleep in_." She moaned, swinging her bag over her shoulder as she and Elaina descended the stairs.

"You could be like Rosalie and skip class. It is 7th year after all." Elaina said, jokingly.

"Yeah and then fail everything and have to take the year over." Lyra replied sarcastically.

Elaina opened her mouth to respond when a small blur of white hair came racing through the door to the Slytherin common room, running straight into Lyra.

"Eliza!?" Lyra cried, as the little girl stumbled backwards, her pale face tinged pink from running and her eyes red and tearful.

Before Lyra could say anything else, Eliza's face turned into a look of horror and she pushed past her, running towards the stairs of the girls dormitory.

Lyra whipped her head back around as the door to the common room opened once more and Abraxas pushed his way into the room, looking flustered.

"Where did she go?" He asked Lyra and Elaina impatiently.

"I don't know what-" Elaina began but Abraxas cut her off.

"Shut up. I know you saw her. I was right behind her." Abraxas snapped.

"She's in her dorm." Lyra said, "Boys can't get down there so you'll have to wait for her to come out."

Abraxas turned to look at Lyra, "Then you go." He said, and Lyra blinked in surprise.

"What?" She asked.

Abraxas sighed in annoyance and waved his hands towards the stairs to the girls' dormitory. "You're a girl. You go talk to her. Tell her to come back out or I will owl mother and father."

Lyra's eyes widened, "But I don't even know what's going on. I don't-"

"Just go." Abraxas insisted, actually physically pushing her towards the stairs. "Tell her she's going to be in trouble if she doesn't come back up here right now."

"Okay, okay, okay!" Lyra cried, stumbling towards the stairs as Abraxas pushed her. "You're almost as pushy as Draco." Lyra muttered under her breath.

"What?" Abraxas asked, and Lyra shook her head, "Nothing."

Abraxas gave her one final dirty look before Lyra rolled her eyes and closed the door to the stairs behind her, descending the steps slowly as she struggled to think of what she would say to Eliza.

Eliza Malfoy. Lyra had never heard of an Eliza Malfoy. While her and Draco had never been quite "friends", she had spent enough time in his manor to know the family portraits on the wall by heart. She had met Abraxas Malfoy in person but she had never even heard the name Eliza Malfoy mentioned.

She felt a bad feeling form in her gut as she stopped in front of the door to the 1st year girls' dorm. "Eliza?" She called gently.

"Go away!" Came the angry reply, "I know my stupid brother sent you so why don't you go back up and tell him to piss off!"

Lyra sighed and tried the doorknob. Seeing as it was locked, she pulled out her wand and pointed it at the lock. "Alohamora." Lyra whispered.

A quiet click followed her spell and Lyra pushed open the door, entering the room to find the little girl laying on her stomach on her bed, her white hair splayed out around her.

"I SAID GO AWAY!" Eliza screeched, throwing a glass at Lyra that narrowly missed her head.

"Okay calm down." Lyra said, shaking slightly from her close encounter with a flying glass. With shaking hands, she closed the door behind her and walked over to Eliza's bed. "I'm not here to make you do anything or tell me anything." Lyra assured her.

Eliza gave her a dirty look before turning over onto her side so that her back was to Lyra. "Yeah, right. Abraxas sent you to manipulate me into coming back upstairs."

Lyra smiled at the girl's intelligence and took a seat on the bed next to her, "Well yes he did, but that's not what _I_ want to do."

"And what is it, exactly, that _you_ want to do?" Eliza sneered.

"I just came to see if you were okay." Lyra replied, and the little girl snorted.

"Right." Eliza said sarcastically.

"But if you don't want to talk." Lyra said, "You don't have to tell me anything."

Eliza fell silent and Lyra looked around the room. Bags, pieces of clothing, books, and the odd school robe were strewn across beds and parts of the floor. Lyra thought of her own messy dorm upstairs and realized that, really, not that much changed between 1st and 7th year.

"Abraxas says you're a blood traitor and a half-blood." Eliza said after a moment, and Lyra looked down at the little girl.

"Yeah." Lyra replied, "That's true."

"How can you stand being in Slytherin?" Eliza asked, turning to look up at Lyra.

Lyra shrugged, "It is what it is." She said, "I have good friends in Slytherin. They make it worth while."

"But don't you hate everyone else? I mean, I would, if I were you." Eliza said, her grey eyes boring into Lyra's.

"Hate is a strong word." Lyra said, a wry smirk forming on her lips, "I do find your brother and his friends incredibly annoying though."

Eliza was silent for a moment and lay still, starting at the green drapes of her four-poster bed.

"You don't seem like the other Slytherins," Eliza said after a minute, "Are you sure you're even in the right house?"

"Well the Sorting Hat did want to put me in Hufflepuff." Lyra said, shrugging, "And I told it to put me in Slytherin."

"Why?" Eliza asked, her young face intense.

Lyra hesitated for a minute, "I had my reasons." She said at last, and Eliza looked at her curiously.

"What reasons?" She asked, and Lyra shook her head.

"Well my mom and grandmother were in Slytherin for one." Lyra lied, "and I'd heard it was a good house."

Eliza fell silent for a moment before pushing herself into a seated position on the bed. "The Sorting Hat wanted to put me in Gryffindor." She said, a pink blush rising in her cheeks.

Lyra nodded, "I can see it."

Eliza turned to look at her, horrified, "But I'm a Malfoy!" She exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears, "I can't. I can't be in Gryffindor."

Lyra cocked her head to one side, "Who says a Malfoy can't be in Gryffindor?" She asked.

"Everyone! Mother and father and Abraxas most of all." Eliza said, "If I was in Gryffindor I'd dishonor my entire family. I'd be painted as a blood traitor. My family would disown me." Eliza said, tears streaming down her face.

Lyra moved over closer to her and wrapped her arms around her. To her great surprise, Eliza hugged her back, trembling like a little leaf as she cried.

"What about you though?" Lyra asked after a moment, "Do you want to be in Gryffindor?"

Eliza hesitated for a moment, wiping the tears off her eyes as she sat up. "Maybe." She admitted, "I think the other Slytherin girls are annoying. Everyone in this house is just so...so..."

"I know." Lyra agreed, laughing quietly, "I know what you mean."

"But I don't deserve to be in Gryffindor." Eliza said morosely, "I'm not brave. I picked Slytherin because I was too afraid of letting down mother and father. I spent my whole life thinking I was better than the others just because I was pureblood. Then when I came here and I actually met mud- I mean, Muggleborns" Eliza said, blushing at her mistake, "I couldn't understand why anyone would think they were less competent or less deserving or less...I don't know...less part of our world."

Lyra stared down at the little Malfoy girl in her arms in awe. If her hair did not look like molten silver, Lyra would have thought she was adopted. She almost wished she could tell Draco about his great-aunt. Did he know about Eliza? The look on his face would be priceless, Lyra thought, if she were to tell him he was related to a blood-traitor Gryffindor wannabe.

"Listen," Lyra said, looking down at Eliza's tear-stained face, "You can't go on blaming yourself like this. How were you supposed to know your parents and everyone around you was wrong about Muggleborns? Look at your brother...he's in 7th year and he still hasn't figured out the truth. Neither have your parents and they've had an entire lifetime to figure things out. As for Gryffindor...if you really want to be in Gryffindor you could ask Dippet to change your house..." Lyra said, shrugging. "I don't know if it's possible but it doesn't hurt to ask."

"And if he says no?" Eliza asked.

"Well then you can still make friends with Gryffindors if you make the effort." Lyra said, "And maybe you can even find some Slytherin friends who aren't too bad."

Eliza nodded, wiping away the last of her tears, "Mother and father will hate me." She said, "They already like Abraxas better. Now they will stop loving me entirely."

"If they stop loving you over this they are the worst parents known to humankind." Lyra replied, "But I doubt they will. It takes a lot to stop loving your own child."

"You really don't know anything about being pureblood, do you?" Eliza sneered, "I'm lucky my family's not the kind to kill their relatives for trying to marry Muggleborns. Malfoys just disown their blood-traitor relatives. We're quite tame honestly."

"What about Abraxas? He clearly loves you." Lyra said, grasping at straws in her attempt to comfort the girl.

Eliza snorted, "Abraxas is an idiot. He doesn't count."

"Eliza!" Lyra cried, laughing in shock. Perhaps she was related to Draco after all.

Eliza shrugged, grinning mischievously, "I have 11 years of proof my brother is an idiot. Trust me on this one." She said, and Lyra laughed even harder.

"I will tell him you said so." Lyra said, and Eliza shrugged.

"Go ahead. He knows it's true. Deep, deep inside. I know he knows." Eliza said, and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"But in all seriousness," Lyra said, "What do you want to tell your brother?"

"The truth I suppose." Eliza said, her smile fading, "He already knows actually. I told him he was being a git for making fun of a Muggleborn in the Great Hall this morning and we got into an argument."

With the mention of the Great Hall, Lyra remembered the time and felt a jolt of adrenaline course through her. What time was it? Tom had told her to not be late and Lyra feared that if she was, she would never find out what questionable plan he had in mind.

"Eliza, what time is it?" Lyra asked, and Eliza frowned, looking around her messy bedside table for a clock.

Finding one at last, she held it up for Lyra to see. Lyra felt her stomach sink as she read the time. Potions had started 2 minutes ago.

Jumping up, Lyra turned to a confused Eliza, "I'm sorry, I have to go. My class has already started!" Lyra said, "If you want to talk again later though I am always free."

Eliza rolled her eyes, "No need. I know what I need to do." She said, a grim determination in her grey eyes.

Lyra smiled and nodded, "Okay." She said, heading towards the door. She turned back as she opened the door to leave and saw Eliza quickly replace a look of deep worry and sadness with a smirk.

Lyra felt a rush of pity and affection for the little girl and smiled at her kindly before leaving. If history remained unchanged, Eliza's fears of being disowned were likely to come true, Lyra realized. Then again, now that she had come to the past, everything was different. Perhaps Eliza's life would be changed for the better as well.

* * *

 **I was going to make this chapter longer but then it just got to the point where it was wayyy too long and I had to cut it in half. You can expect the next chapter to be posted very soon though since it is already half written!**


	25. In your very blood

**Here's the next chapter already! Lots of intense Lyra-Tom scenes in this one ;)**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Her head full of worrisome thoughts, Lyra ran through the hallway towards the Potions classroom. Reaching the classroom, she quietly cracked open the door and stepped inside. She spotted Tom near the back of the classroom and watched as he snapped his head up and stared at her impassively. Lyra met his eyes for a split second before turning to Slughorn to make her apologies.

"Not to worry, dear. We've just gotten started. I do believe Tom has no partner, you can go join him. I have absolute faith he will have you caught up in no time." Slughorn said, sending a wink in Tom's direction.

Lyra nodded and then turned towards Tom, weaving her way through the rows of students and cauldrons until she reached Tom. From the looks of it, Tom was farther along in his potion than any of the others.

"Where were you?" Tom whispered under his breath and Lyra unpacked her bag and produced her Potions book. "Did I not explicitly state that you were to be on time for this class?"

"Yes, I know, I got caught up with Abraxas's sister." Lyra whispered back and Tom raised an eyebrow. "She was crying."

Tom gave her a withering look and then returned his attention to his potion, "Oh she was crying? Well that changes everything now doesn't it?" Tom sneered darkly.

"Why does it even matter." Lyra protested, crossing her arms, "I'm here now. Just tell me whatever it was you wanted to tell me."

Tom snorted, turning his back on her and rummaging through the piles of ingredients next to his cauldron. Picking up a tub of crushed beetles, he turned to Lyra.

"Hold this." He snapped, shoving the tub of crushed beetles into her hands.

Lyra struggled to grab them and almost dropped them as Tom stirred his potion. Noticing her clumsiness, Tom inhaled sharply.

"Your incompetency never ceases to amaze me." He snapped, grabbing the tub of beetles back from her and sprinkling them into the potion.

Lyra glared at him. "Well maybe if you didn't just _shove_ things into my hands without telling me I wouldn't-"

"I need you to go talk to Dumbledore for me." Tom said, interrupting her.

Lyra's mouth fell open as she stared at him in shock.

"What?" Tom snapped, "Is talking to a professor too complicated a task for you?"

"Why?" Lyra blurted out, unable to contain herself.

Tom gave her a pointed look, "Why do you think?" He replied dryly.

Lyra frowned, "Because of what I said last night?"

"Well would you look at that. She does have a brain after all." Tom sneered, stirring his potion carefully.

Lyra glared at him, "And what do you want me to say to him? Good afternoon Professor Dumbledore, I was just wondering if you knew Tom Riddle killed his father? Oh yes, you did? Okay wonderful. Were you also the one who cursed his family's ring? Oh you were? Okay great. Thanks. Could you remove that curse? You will? Okay thanks."

Tom gave her a withering look, "Have you ever heard of something called subtlety?" Tom snapped, "I understand the word may be out of the range of your vocabulary."

"How the hell am I supposed to subtlety ask a professor if he knows you're a murderer and whether he cursed your family heirloom?" Lyra asked, crossing her arms defensively.

Tom sighed, "You don't ask him, idiot." He snapped, "You go to him and you tell him I have been annoying you and you ask him what is wrong with me. I guarantee you, if you give him the right incentive, he will gladly tell you what he thinks of me." Tom said waspishly.

"You can even bring up my father's murder if you're at a loss." Tom continued, whispering under his breath, "Ask him if I've been unpleasant because my father was killed and try to judge what he knows by his reaction. You have to be _clever_ , Reed." Tom sneered, "I know this might be a challenge for you but please give it a try."

Lyra glared at him, "The boy who thought it was a good idea to unleash a giant snake on the student population is lecturing me on _cleverness_."

Tom glared at her, "I did not get caught, now did I?" He snarled, "In fact, in case you were not aware, I even received a special award for catching the culprit." He sneered, smirking arrogantly.

"You're horrible." Lyra said, pushing past him to read the Potions instructions.

"Oh now you decide to help." Tom said waspishly, "After the potion is nearly complete."

"My mistake." Lyra sneered, "I thought you would have preferred I leave it all up to you seeing as I probably lack the basic competency to brew a simple potion."

Tom snorted, "I would not be surprised."

"I have an O in potions you know." Lyra retorted, glaring at him.

Tom raised his eyebrows, "Now _that_ is surprising." He sneered, and Lyra slapped him on the arm.

"What did she say?" Lyra heard an anxious voice ask from behind her and turned around to see Abraxas. Tom turned around as well, annoyance registering on his face.

"What are you doing over here, Malfoy?" Tom asked sharply, and Abraxas's face paled.

Abraxas nodded, "Sorry, Riddle." He said, bowing his head differentially to Tom, "Lyra was helping me with a situation involving my sister and-"

"How fascinating." Tom interrupted sarcastically, turning his attention back to his cauldron and apparently deciding to ignore Abraxas's presence entirely. Lyra and Abraxas exchanged a look.

"Eliza's fine. You should go talk to her." Lyra said at last.

Abraxas shot a wary glance in Tom's direction before responding, "Did she tell you...what did she say exactly?"

"Well she did say she is a fan of Gryffindors and Muggleborns actually." Lyra said, a half-smile forming on her lips as Abraxas's face contorted in pain.

"Whatever you do, don't be hard on her." Lyra urged him, "If you're not there for her...it's possible no one will be."

Abraxas was silent and Lyra felt a flicker of fear run through her. The Abraxas she had met as a child had no made any mention of his sister. Had he too turned against her or was she drawing too many far-fetched conclusions.

"Stay away from her." Abraxas said at last, his face hardening, "She doesn't need to be influenced by the likes of you."

Lyra blinked in shock and narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't worry, Malfoy. Unlike you, she actually has a mind of her own."

Behind her, Lyra could have sworn she heard Tom let out a snort of laughter.

"Just stay out of my family's business." Abraxas snarled, turning to leave.

Lyra watched him go with a sense of foreboding before turning to look over at Tom, who was still working away on the potion. Coming up next to Tom, Lyra peered into the cauldron.

"Do you want me to cut up the worm tails?" Lyra asked, beginning to feel quite guilty she had not helped at all with the potion.

"Does Eliza Malfoy really want to be in Gryffindor?" Tom asked, and Lyra looked at him in surprise. He had not shown any interest in their conversation but apparently he had been listening after all.

Lyra nodded, chopping up the worm tails whether Tom wanted her to or not. "She hates it in Slytherin."

"Strange." Tom muttered, accepting the chopped worm tails Lyra offered him and inspecting them carefully before throwing them in the cauldron.

"It's the pureblood supremacy of Slytherin house she hates," Lyra clarified, looking at Tom out of the corner of her eye as she pulled a piece of birch bark towards her and began to pound it into dust.

Tom made no indication he had heard her, focusing solely on his potion.

"How can you think Muggleborns are lesser when you yourself are a half-blood?" Lyra asked after a moment.

Tom let out a sigh of annoyance, "Reed, this is not the time or place for this discussion."

"It just doesn't make any sense," Lyra insisted, pushing the pounded birch bark towards him, "You were raised by Muggles, your father is a Muggle-"

"I am the heir of Slytherin, Reed." Tom snarled, "I was meant to grow up in the wizarding world."

"Yes but you are just as related to your Muggle father as you are to your pureblood mother." Lyra said, knowing full-well she was pushing the envelope, "How can you hate something that is in your very blood?

"I hate it precisely _because_ it is in my blood." Tom replied viciously because stopping himself, looking almost shocked at the words that had come out of his mouth.

Lyra made no reply, mulling over his words inside her head. She was beginning to understand him...or so she thought. He hated Muggles because his father was a Muggle and his father had abandoned him. It was so simple and childish. Had he really went through all the trouble of becoming a dark lord just because he resented his father for abandoning him? It had to be more than that. A thirst for power; a desire to be feared and adored; a desire to be extraordinary when he had been born ordinary.

"So you killed that little girl...Myrtle...because she represented the part of yourself you hate. The part of yourself that belongs to your father who abandoned you." Lyra said.

Before she knew what was happening, she screamed as the cauldron of potion came tumbling down, its contents just missing her hands as she jumped backwards. In her shock, Lyra barely registered the screams and shocked voices of concern from the students that swarmed her. She saw only Tom. His dark eyes bore into hers through the smoke that wafted up from the spilled potion and in them was written a warning. A threat.

Lyra felt all the hatred she had thought she had overcome come flooding back as she glared back at the boy in front of her. She had articulated out loud the hard truth that he himself could not face and he had lost his temper. He was dangerously immature, Lyra thought viciously.

And in that moment, Lyra realized the truth was exactly what Tom Riddle needed to hear - no matter how angry it would make him.

* * *

"Riddle."

Tom clenched his fists and walked faster as Lyra caught up to him. They were nearing the Great Hall and Tom had been hoping to make it there before she caught up to him. There would have been less chance of a confrontation if they were in a room with hundreds of other students. He had lost his temper and it had nearly cost him. Luckily, he had successfully convinced Slughorn and the other students that Lyra had been the one to knock over the cauldron and spill the potion and to his surprise, she had gone along with the lie. Tom wondered whether she had finally figured out it was impossible to fight with him and win.

Lyra pulled roughly on his arm and Tom inhaled sharply, trying desperately to refrain from cursing her. Once they were out of earshot of anyone else, Tom pulled his arm out of Lyra's grasp.

"You need to control your temper." Lyra snapped. The look on her face was one of pure hatred and this only served to irk Tom further.

"I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about." Tom replied. His voice was innocent but his eyes told a different story.

"You want me to help you remove the curse on that ring? How about you stop trying to _scald me._ " Lyra snarled.

"Forgive me for misunderstanding, but I was under the impression you valued your friends." Tom said in a dangerously polite voice, "While I would never dream of hurting them, it would not be my fault if they were to be expelled for breaking school rules."

A look of fear crossed Lyra's face and Tom's face twisted into a satisfied smirk. If she really thought she was going to win this war, she was sorely mistaken.

"I will go to Dumbledore for you." Lyra said cautiously, "But I would really appreciate it if you do not attack me every time I say something that offends you."

Tom's smirk morphed into a dangerous glare, "I did not touch you." He snarled, "If I remember correctly, last time I "offended" you, you _tortured_ me."

For the first time since the incident, Lyra's face did not twist into a look of guilt at these words and this irked Tom more than he was willing to admit. He had enjoyed making her feel guilty; there had been something very satisfactory and entertaining about it.

"I understand now." Lyra said, "Everything you do goes back to your father. You hate Muggles and Muggleborns because your father was a Muggle. Simple as that. You even want to change your name to Lord Voldemort because you don't want to have your father's name. Can't you see how pointless this all is?" Lyra exclaimed.

Tom's fingers itched to curse her but he forced himself to stay calm. She was clearly trying to provoke him and it had been a mistake to let her succeed in doing so. "I fail to see how this is of any concern to you." He replied evenly, his jaw clenched.

"Well if you intend on becoming Lord Voldemort then it is very much of concern to me." Lyra replied, crossing her arms. "You're going to destroy the whole world all because your father left you in an orphanage. I'm sorry but this is just so stupid I can't-"

"It has nothing to do with _him_." Tom snarled, unable to contain himself, "Why should I not achieve my full potential?"

Lyra laughed humourlessly, "Your full potential?" She scoffed, "You mean to say that becoming a psychotic murderous dictator like Grindelwald is your full potential? If that's the case then you really don't have much potential at all do you."

"I have the potential to become the most powerful wizard of all time." Tom snarled.

"So what?" Lyra asked, throwing her arms up in the air.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, so what?" He snapped.

"So what is the point of being the most powerful wizard of all time?" Lyra asked, and Tom couldn't help himself from staring at her in confusion.

"It is the greatest achievement anyone could ever-" Tom began, but Lyra cut him off.

"Yes but what is the point of achieving it?" Lyra asked, and Tom felt a prickle of annoyance at her seemingly pointless questions.

"Asking that is like asking what the point of breathing is." Tom stated dryly.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "All I mean is that there are things more important than power."

Tom scoffed, "Like what?"

"Love, happiness, friendship, peace, health..."

"Oh shut up." Tom snapped, turning away.

"You're so weird." Lyra remarked in a way that made Tom's skin crawl with annoyance.

They fell into a tense silence and Tom's thoughts returned to Dumbledore. As infuriating as Lyra was, he needed her to get information out of Dumbledore. She was the last person Dumbledore would expect to be on his side. Composing himself, Tom turned back to Lyra.

"You need to go see Dumbledore today. Tell him I tried to spill the potion on you - use that as your excuse for why you wanted to talk to him about me." Tom urged her.

Lyra sighed, "And if he doesn't reveal anything?"

Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, "You don't know how people work, do you? You have to _make_ him reveal it. Find a way to make him so angry at me that his emotion clouds his judgment and he reveals something he shouldn't. You can make anyone say or do anything if you know how to manipulate their emotions." Tom said.

Lyra raised an eyebrow, "Manipulate their emotions? Is this what you do?"

"Yes." Tom replied shortly, "And it is incredibly effective. Even on you."

Lyra rolled her eyes, looking slightly amused. Tom did not understand why she would think anything he had said was funny and stared at her in slight confusion.

"Okay I'm going to try." Lyra said at last, "No promises though."

Tom sighed in frustration, worried she would somehow mess everything up or reveal something she shouldn't. He wished he would have brewed some Polyjuice potion over the summer. Then he would have been able to go himself. Tom mentally slapped himself at his carelessness.

"Meet me in the library when you are finished." Tom snapped, "This time try not to get distracted."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "I won't forget." She assured him.

Tom privately doubted her reliability but nodded anyway. "Good."


	26. Beyond redemption

**Thanks once again for the reviews Ai Star, Cassie-011, Skepticalfox and Elle Light!**

 **Elle Light no, I haven't heard of the shadow effect before but I think you are absolutely right! That is exactly what Tom is facing. Cool connection!**

 **skepticalfox that would be hilarious lol good idea for a comedic story**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

Lyra left Tom alone in the deserted corridor and made her way towards Dumbledore's office, her heart racing. What was she going to say? How would she get what she needed out of him without revealing too much?

Lyra stopped in her tracks, realizing she had forgotten all about the note Dumbledore had given her in the future. Lyra rummaged around in the pockets of her robe where she had placed the note this morning. She had had no reservations about giving it to him before, but now that she needed to get information out of him about Tom...Lyra shuddered to think of what would happen if the note said something about her trying to save Tom's life. Dumbledore would immediately distrust her if he knew to what great lengths she had gone to save him without breaking her vow.

 _I trust you not to try to read it._..

Dumbledore had explicitly told her not to read the note. Lyra hesitated, feeling the parchment inside her robes. What if it was charmed to explode if she read it, or alert the Dumbledore of this time, or disappear, or burn her or-

No, Lyra thought. It's too big of a risk to just hand Dumbledore potential information about herself without first verifying it would not cause her immense grief. If Dumbledore found out she could travel through time, it could mess up her entire plan. If she were to be sent back to the future right now, she felt relatively certain that, now that she had saved Tom's life but failed to change his mind on anything substantial, she would be going back to a world ruled by Voldemort.

Sliding into an empty classroom, Lyra pulled out the letter from her pocket with trembling hands. Hoping for the best, Lyra slowly opened the letter and was surprised when she found not one, but two notes. Lyra scanned the largest piece of parchment first and her eyes widened in surprise at the words written on it.

 _Dear Ms. Reed,_

 _I thought I told you not to open this letter? However, seeing as you have, I would like to take this moment to impress upon you, once again, the importance of giving my younger self some much needed information. I will not ask you where you found a time turner, nor what Tom Riddle is doing with the resurrection stone; however, I must insist you give the other note I have enclosed in this letter to my younger self. If you do not, it is could very well mean death for you and many of your classmates._

 _I trust you will not take this chance._

 _Yours sincerely,_

 _Headmaster Albus Dumbledore_

Lyra stared at the note in shock, her hands trembling. He had known. He had accurately judged her character and he had predicted she would look at the letter. For the umpteenth time since her parents' death, Lyra felt she had never truly seen herself for who she really was until now.

And what had he meant by possible death? Was he referring to a possible invasion by Grindelwald? Lyra could not think of any other possible threat that had faced Britain in the 40s.

Pushing away her troubling thoughts, Lyra read the second, smaller note that contained only a single sentence.

 _None are more acquainted with bad blood than the centaurs._

Lyra frowned, reading the cryptic sentence over and over. It was a riddle, was it not? Lyra wondered, trying to figure out the meaning of the note. Bad blood...Lyra mused, what did this mean? Animosity? If this message was indeed about Grindelwald, then was this referring to the bad blood between Dumbledore and Grindelwald? Lyra shook her head. It had to be more than that.

Putting the notes back into her pocket, Lyra walked towards Dumbledore's office in a daze. To say she was confused, scared, and overwhelmed was an understatement. Reaching Dumbledore's office door, Lyra hesitated a moment, her heart beating quickly, before getting up the courage to knock.

"Come in!" Came the cheerful reply and Lyra forced herself to take a deep breath as she swung open the door and entered the room.

"Professor?" Lyra asked tentatively, "May I have a word with you?"

"Certainly." Dumbledore replied, and with a wave of his wand, the pieces of parchment that had been scattered across his desk assembled themselves into a neat stack on the corner of his desk.

Lyra closed the door behind her and took a seat in front of Dumbledore, twisting the hem of her robes nervously.

"Professor I- I- came here to ask you about- about, well about...Tom Riddle." Lyra stuttered.

Dumbledore's smile dimmed at the mention of Tom's name and Lyra carried on hurriedly, "In all honesty, I am worried about him." She blurted out, "I found out recently that his father and grandparents were killed this past summer." Lyra said, "He is constantly angry and he pushes everyone away and-"

Lyra hesitated, looking at Dumbledore cautiously, "And I was just wondering whether you knew of anything we could do to, well, fix this situation."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, his eyes brimming with a kind of admiration tinged with sadness.

"Last we spoke you and Mr. Riddle were not on very good terms. Has this changed?" Dumbledore asked and Lyra shrugged, shaking her head.

"No, not really." She admitted, "Riddle and I don't really...see eye to eye... It's just I don't see any of his friends doing anything to help him and so I thought I should at least talk to you about my concerns."

"Well that kind of kindness is admirable." Dumbledore said, surveying her with his piercing blue eyes, "However, I am not sure there is much you can do for Mr. Riddle."

"And why is that?" Lyra asked.

Dumbledore sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before reopening them. "Six years ago I was sent to an orphanage in the heart of downtown London to visit a young wizard who was old enough to come to Hogwarts in the fall. When I arrived at the orphanage and inquired about the child, the matron's first assumption was that I was from a hospital for the clinically insane. You see, she had called a mental institution for children just the previous week about the young wizard and was expecting a visit from them any day."

Lyra thought of the young version of Tom who had appeared in her grandmother's basement all those years ago and shivered involuntarily.

"When I explained I was from a private school for gifted children, the matron was very surprised and a little suspicious. I asked her to tell me everything she could about the boy in question. She said the boy terrified the other children to the point that none of them would share a room with him, sit next to him, or even talk to him. There had been many incidents, she explained. One of the other Muggle children had found his pet rabbit hung from the rafters after getting into a fight with the young wizard over a Christmas present a generous donor had given him. Another time, the young wizard had convinced two of the other Muggle children to come into a cave with him. To this day, the matron says they have never been the same."

Lyra gulped, beginning to wonder whether she had been wrong about Tom. Was he a psychopath, as Elaina had said? Had he _ever_ been innocent?

"When I went in to visit the young boy he too immediately assumed I was a doctor. I assured him I was not; although it took some time to convince him I really was not there to take him away to an institution. I explained to him that he was a wizard and demonstrated my magic for him by setting on fire the wardrobe in which he had hidden toys he had stolen from the other children. He told me he already knew he could do magic; he said he could make bad things happen to people who were mean to him."

"Were they mean to him?" Lyra asked, "The other children?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "I have no idea. The boy has always been too proud to tell me. Mr. Riddle has always been proud. He prefers to be on his own and take care of himself and despises being controlled or told what to do."

"Why did his father not raise him?" Lyra asked, despite knowing the answer already.

"Once again, I am not certain of the answer. However, I suspect it is likely because Mr. Riddle and his mother were magical and this was simply too much for his Muggle father." Dumbledore replied.

"Riddle's maternal uncle killed his father. Why? Was it because he abandoned his wife and child?" Lyra asked, examining Dumbledore's face closely for any possible hint that could betray what he knew.

Dumbledore sighed, "That is what he claims, yes."

"What he claims? You mean it may not be true?" Lyra pressed.

Dumbledore surveyed her carefully, his blue eyes searching her face, "I believe that was indeed the motive behind the killings, yes." Dumbledore said, and Lyra felt a strange mixture of relief and disappointment.

Dumbledore did not know it was Tom then, Lyra decided. His answer had proven it, had it not? He believed the story Tom had brainwashed into Morfin and if he believed the story, there was less of a chance he would have poked around at the scene of the crime, and therefore less chance he would have found the resurrection stone and cursed it. While this did not mean he had not cursed the stone, it did make it less likely.

"Sir, I'm sorry but earlier I asked why you thought there was nothing much that anyone could do for Riddle. You still have not answered that question." Lyra reminded him.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, his eyes sad, "You cannot help a person who does not _want_ to be helped, Lyra." He said, using her first name for the first time ever.

Lyra felt something twist painfully inside her as she thought of the impossibility of her mission. Was it even possible to stop Tom from becoming Voldemort? Would she have to resort to using violence in the end? Was violence the only thing Tom understood?

"Sir, how do you know he does not want to be helped?" Lyra asked, quietly, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Are you certain you are in the right house? You are sounding very much like a Hufflepuff." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling.

Lyra smiled despite herself, feeling nostalgic for her true house. "The Sorting Hat did consider putting me in Hufflepuff." Lyra said.

Dumbledore made no reply and Lyra had the strangest feeling he knew, or at least guessed, she had chosen Slytherin despite the hat's initial wishes.

"Well I think I had better leave." Lyra said, standing up. "I have an essay to write for Care of Magical Creatures that I haven't started."

Dumbledore smiled, "Yes, and in fact, I do believe I have a class to teach." He said, standing up as well.

"See you on Wednesday." Lyra said, smiling as she walked towards the door.

"Oh, Lyra?" Dumbledore said, and Lyra stopped, her hand on the doorknob.

"Yes?" Lyra asked.

"Headmaster Dippet believes it would be best for you to accompany Mr. Riddle to Wool's Orphanage this Christmas break." Dumbledore said.

Lyra felt her stomach flip, "Riddle's orphanage?" She asked, in shock, "Can we not stay at Hogwarts over Christmas break?"

Dumbledore shook his head sadly, "Unfortunately, students require a guardian's permission to stay at Hogwarts. As of right now, you have no guardian and the matron of Mr. Riddle's orphanage has refused to give him permission to stay every year so far."

Lyra frowned, making a mental note to ask Tom about this.

"Well I have to get to class." Dumbledore said, and Lyra nodded.

"See you later." She said, turning to leave.

Dumbledore smiled before turning to walk the opposite way. Lyra kept walking away from his office until she could no longer hear his retreating footsteps and then turned around, walking quickly back towards his office. Checking to make sure no one was around, Lyra quickly pulled the tiny one sentence note out of her pocket and slid it under the door of Dumbledore's office.

* * *

Lyra found Tom behind a pile of books in the far corner of the library. Lyra stared at him, watching as he frowned in concentration as he read the books. He looked so normal, so...so... Lyra shook her head. Looks were often deceiving, she reminded herself.

Tom looked up, his eyes widening in anxious anticipation when he saw her.

"Well?" He asked, impatiently, once Lyra took a seat across from him.

Lyra shook her head, "I found no indication he was the one to curse the stone. I'm sorry." She said, feeling genuinely quite disappointed.

Tom closed his eyes slowly, clearly trying to remain calm. When he opened them again, they were burning with suppressed rage. "What did he say?" Tom asked, "Tell me everything."

Lyra sighed, "I told him I was worried about you. I asked about your father's death and whether it was impacting you. He clearly disliked you but he never hinted he believed you had killed the Riddles."

"You didn't tell him I spilled the potion on you?" Tom asked sharply.

"No," Lyra replied, "I instead-"

"You idiot!" Tom snarled, "I told you, you needed to make him angry in order to get anything out of him."

"I told him I was worried about you and I directly addressed your father's death, I thought-"

"You thought what?" Tom snapped, "I gave you very specific orders and you failed you follow them."

Lyra froze at this, glaring daggers at him, "I am _not_ your follower. You do not give me orders."

Tom let out a sigh of exasperation and closed his eyes for a moment, massaging his temple.

"What did he say though?" Tom ground out at last, fixing his piercing dark brown eyes on her face.

"He told me he met you for the first time in the orphanage. He said you used to bully the other children - steal their things and torment them. He said you killed a boy's rabbit and drove two other children insane." Lyra said, the words tumbling out of her mouth as she struggled to reconcile her memory of 9 year old Tom Riddle with the image painted by Dumbledore.

Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, "He told you this?" He snarled, and Lyra nodded.

"Is it true?" She asked, and Tom scoffed, making no reply.

"What else did he tell you?" Tom asked, "Did he say anything about my time at Hogwarts?"

"Nothing really. He said you like to be on your own and you're proud."

Tom clicked his tongue impatiently, "Did he say anything about the chamber or last summer or-"

Lyra shook her head, "No. I asked him directly about whether Morfin killed your father as revenge for leaving you and your mother and he said that that was what Morfin had said his motive was. The way he phrased it sounded like he was uncertain he believed this was Morfin's motive. So, I asked him point blank if he thought that was why Morfin killed the Riddles and Dumbledore said he believed that was the motive behind the killings."

At this, Tom froze, staring at Lyra. "He believed the motive behind the killings was revenge?"

Lyra frowned in confusion, "Yes...why-"

"Reed, listen to me. You need to think very hard about what exactly Dumbledore said. Did he say he thought the motive belonged to Morfin in particular or did he leave the killer unnamed?" Tom asked, leaning forward, his elbows on the table.

Lyra stared at him in utter bewilderment, "What are you talking about? I asked him whether Morfin killed your father as revenge and he said yes."

Tom drew in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut, clearly on the verge of losing his patience once again, "No. Listen. When he said the motive was revenge, at that specific moment, did he explicitly say the motive belonged to Morfin or did he just vaguely say that the motive behind the killings was revenge?"

Lyra frowned, trying to remember Dumbledore's exact words. "No," She said hesitantly, "I don't think he specified in that very sentence that the motive was Morfin's but in the context of the conversation it was clear-"

At this Tom's face paled visibly and to her great surprise, Lyra noticed that his hands were shaking slightly. "Riddle, what does this-"

"Shut up." Tom snapped, slamming his book closed, "Just...shut up." He said, hurriedly shoving his books back into his bag.

"Riddle, what does this prove?" Lyra asked, genuinely baffled by his reaction, "Just because he didn't explicitly say "Morfin's motive for killing the Riddles was revenge" does not mean that's not what he meant. In the context of the conversation it was clear we were talking about Morfin."

"Was it?" Tom snapped, "Then why did he express hesitation and then purposefully vaguely state that "the motive was revenge". He purposefully left out Morfin's name because he knows- he knows it was me."

Lyra shook her head in bewilderment, "You're insane. You're so paranoid you're not thinking clearly."

Tom froze in the middle of packing his bag and fixed Lyra with a poisonous glare, "I am thinking perfectly clearly." Tom snarled, "I know Dumbledore. I know how he operates."

"Then what are you going to do?" Lyra asked exasperatedly, standing up as well.

"Absolutely nothing. If he had any proof, I would already be sitting in a jail cell in Azkaban." Tom replied, although judging by the look on his face, Lyra guessed that sitting still was the last thing he wanted to do, "Any attempt to disprove my involvement would only make me look more suspicious. Sending you to him tonight was bad enough."

"He wasn't suspicious." Lyra assured him, but Tom snorted.

"You don't get it, do you?" Tom snapped, "To Dumbledore, I am guilty until proven innocent. He watches my every move."

"He told me not to try to help you." Lyra said, watching carefully as Tom gave her a strange look.

"Help me how? What did you tell him?" He snapped, and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"I told him I was worried you were grieving your father - obviously that was a lie - but I told him that and he said I should not try to help you because you don't _want_ to be helped." Lyra explained and Tom gave her a slightly confused look.

"So what?" He snapped, and Lyra shook her head, unsure what part of this he was failing to comprehend.

"Dumbledore thinks you're a lost cause." She said, and Tom frowned, looking slightly perplexed.

"I mean, he thinks you are beyond redemption." Lyra explained, and Tom snorted.

"Redemption from what?" He sneered, and Lyra sighed.

"Never mind."


	27. Bad blood

**Sorry for the very long wait! Thank you to everyone who reviewed though, as always! You guys make my day :D**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

 _None are more acquainted with bad blood than the centaurs._

Lyra rolled over in bed, her mind running a mile a minute. What had that note meant? She had spent the greater part of the previous night researching centaurs but not once had she found anything relating to "bad blood"...whatever that meant.

Giving up on sleep at last, Lyra crawled out of bed as quietly as possible so as not to wake her roommates and snuck downstairs. Given the early hour, Lyra was unsurprised to find Tom alone at the Slytherin table.

"Morning." Lyra said sliding into the seat across from him.

Tom looked up at her in slight annoyance, "Why are you not asleep?" He asked.

Lyra shrugged, "I couldn't sleep." She said honestly, grabbing a glass jar filled with cereal and accidentally spilling the cereal all over the table.

Tom let out a sigh of exasperation at her clumsiness, "Do you ever think?" He asked, irritation plain in his voice.

"It slipped!" Lyra protested defensively as she struggled to pick up each piece of cereal individually. Finally realizing there was a much easier way to do this, Lyra vanished the remaining cereal, wishing she had thought of doing so earlier.

Tom's withering look suddenly turned into one of guarded politeness and Lyra frowned in confusion for a moment before she heard Dumbledore's voice from behind her.

"Good morning to both of you." Dumbledore said brightly, "Tom, I have a message for you from Mrs. Cole. As I'm sure Lyra has already told you, she will be staying with you at Wool's Orphanage this Christmas."

Tom's eyes widened in genuine surprised laced with repressed rage and he shot Lyra a subtle look of resentment before accepting the letter Dumbledore handed him.

"I'm afraid Lyra did not mention this exciting news to me." Tom said smoothly, his jaw clenched. "While I am overjoyed at the prospect of spending the holidays with her, I must ask why she is not allowed to stay at Hogwarts for the break. She is of age, is she not?"

Lyra frowned for a moment before remembering she had told everyone in the 1940s that she was 17, not 16.

"Unfortunately, as we have been unable to locate a birth certificate or any other kind of documentation proving Lyra's age, we must treat her as an underage witch until her graduation in the spring. As such, she must return to the orphanage with you." Dumbledore replied in a tone that made it clear the issue was non-negotiable.

Tom nodded and smiled politely before turning to Lyra, his dark eyes burning with repressed rage, "Well then I look forward to showing you around London."

Lyra rolled her eyes at Tom, her face turned away from Dumbledore so that he could not see. "I look forward to it." She said, mimicking Tom's overly polite voice.

"Well then it is settled." Dumbledore said, looking slightly amused at the thinly veiled contempt the two students clearly held for one another. "I'll see you in Transfiguration."

Lyra watched him walk away while Tom stared at her expectantly, rage bubbling beneath the surface as per usual. Lyra wondered privately how he could stand being so angry all the time. It must be exhausting.

"Did you ask for this?" Tom snarled, as soon as Dumbledore was out of earshot.

Lyra recoiled, "What? Why would I _want_ to spend Christmas with you?" She asked rather harshly.

Tom's face darkened and he grabbed his bag, clearly intending to leave.

"Why won't your matron allow you to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas?" Lyra asked hastily, but Tom ignored her, shoving a book he had been reading back into his bag.

"Why can't you stay at Hogwarts?" Lyra asked again, glaring up at him as he stood up to leave. This time Tom let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Because Dumbledore told her he didn't want me here." Tom snapped, throwing his bag over his shoulder.

"Why?" Lyra asked, surprised Dumbledore would go to such extents to limit Tom's freedom regardless of what he believed him to have done.

"Why do you think?" Tom snarled, and Lyra made no reply as he stormed away.

* * *

By the time Lyra finished her cereal, Rosalie and Elaina had joined her at the table. In the midst of their happy chatter, Lyra was relieved to find she could distract herself from her troubles with Tom.

As her friends packed up their things to go to class, Lyra spotted a familiar face over at the Gryffindor table that she had not seen since her return from the future.

"You guys go on without me." Lyra said to Rosalie and Elaina, "I want to go say hi to Conan. He's been sick lately."

Her friends nodded and Lyra made her way over to the Gryffindor table, her heart in her throat. She hoped desperately that Grindelwald had accepted the stone and that he had freed Conan's sister but the lack of news from Conan over the past few days was concerning to say the least.

"You're back." Lyra exclaimed, her heart beating anxiously at the less than happy look on his face. "What did- what happened?" She asked.

Conan looked around himself furtively at the other Gryffindors who were giving Lyra - a Slytherin - odd looks.

"Look I'm done breakfast so um let's go for a walk." Conan said, standing up quickly.

"Okay." Lyra said, smiling and waving at the Gryffindors. A few of the students smiled and waved back and Lyra felt a rush of gratitude to those who were able to put their house rivalry aside to be friendly with her. As a Hufflepuff, she had never understood the hatred Gryffindors and Slytherins held for one another.

Conan led the way out of the Great Hall, stopping only once they reached the empty courtyard. He turned to Lyra, a look on his face that made Lyra apprehensive.

"Everything's fine. My sister's fine." Conan said, forcing a smile.

Lyra frowned, "Then what's wrong?"

Conan shook his head, "Nothing." He said, but Lyra did not believe this for a second, "She went back to live with her Muggle family. I suppose I wish she didn't have to go back there. I wish she could come to Hogwarts with us." He said, and Lyra felt her chest constrict painfully as his eyes watered.

Lyra quickly stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug but he only let her hug him for a moment before pulling away. "Anyway, it's over." He said, a kind of steely look in his eyes that unnerved Lyra slightly.

"It's all over." She repeated. "Then are you going to go back to Durmstrang?"

Conan shook his head, "No, I prefer Hogwarts. I'm staying. Besides, I couldn't transfer mid-term anyway."

Lyra nodded slowly, "Okay." She said, and they fell into silence for a moment.

"Oh." Lyra said, realizing that Conan was the only one she could tell about the note she had given to Dumbledore, "I need your help."

Conan frowned in confusion, "With what?"

"You know the note Dumbledore told me to give to his younger self?" Lyra asked, and Conan nodded. "Well I opened it and-"

"You opened it?" He asked, his eyes widening with curiosity.

"Yes." Lyra said, "And inside was a note for me, telling me off for opening the note and then requesting I give a smaller note enclosed in the larger note to Dumbledore. The smaller note read, None are more acquainted with bad blood than the centaurs. Do you have any idea what that could mean?"

Conan frowned, thinking. "Well "bad blood" could mean animosity-"

"Yeah I thought that too! Especially since Dumbledore told me this note could mean the difference between life and death for our classmates. I figured it must have something to do with the animosity between Dumbledore and Grindelwald….but I know it must be more than that."

"I think the real question is why mention the centaurs?" Conan noted, "If the note really is about Grindelwald then perhaps there's some way the centaurs could help Dumbledore fight him? Everyone knows there's "bad blood" between the centaurs and wizarding population. It's only because of a blood pact that they even refrain from killing one another-"

"A blood pact?" Lyra asked, a distant, foggy memory resurfacing. Hadn't her grandmother once told her something about Dumbledore and a blood pact?

"Yes, the leader of the centaurs back in the 1500s made a blood pact with the Minister for Magic at the time to ensure that neither would take up arms against the other and that the centaurs would be permitted to live freely without the interference of wizards and witches." Conan explained, but Lyra was barely listening.

"Did Dumbledore ever make a blood pact with anyone?" Lyra asked, suddenly.

Conan frowned, "Not that I know of...why?"

Lyra shook her head, "I don't know if this makes any sense, but Dumbledore and Grindelwald have "bad blood" just as the centaurs have "bad blood" with the government. If the centaurs made a blood pact with the government do you think the note could implicitly be referring to a blood pact made between Dumbledore and Grindelwald? I mean, it's been years and still Dumbledore has not moved against Grindelwald. It could just be for the sake of their old friendship...but what if it's something more? What if he _can't_ move against him because they are bound by a blood pact?"

"And so you think the future Dumbledore sent this note to tell his past self how to break the blood pact?" Conan asked, his eyes widening.

Lyra nodded, "Maybe. Maybe. I don't know. But maybe." She said.

"But if the centaurs know how to break the blood pact," Conan said, "Then how come they haven't done so?"

"Maybe they like the peace?" Lyra suggested, "I don't know. This is just a theory anyway."

Conan nodded slowly, deep in thought, "It could be. How do we know for sure though?"

Lyra shrugged, "We don't. I suppose it doesn't matter anyway. Dumbledore found a way to stop him before. I'm sure he will again."

* * *

The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes, last minute assignments and general busyness. All throughout Transfiguration, Tom had been in a foul mood, only speaking when necessary and sending Dumbledore thinly veiled looks of pure hatred whenever he wasn't looking. By the end of it, Lyra had been glad to get away and had hurried off to join Elaina and Rosalie.

"Did you hear Malfoy and Hornby are finally together?" Rosalie asked as the three of them walked back to the Slytherin common room.

"Well I'm not surprised. They deserve each other." Elaina said, a slight note of disgust in her voice.

"I actually think some people should be banned from procreating. Imagine having Malfoy and Hornby for parents." Rosalie said, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Ugh."

Lyra burst out laughing as she remembered Lucius Malfoy - their future child. He had turned out just as expected - a true Malfoy. It was Draco who was questionable, Lyra thought privately. He wanted to be like his father but he wasn't - or at least he didn't seem to be based on what Astoria had told her. Lyra felt a pang of sadness as she remembered her cousin and subconsciously moved closer to Elaina.

"What about Black and Rosier?" Lyra asked, enjoying the petty gossip for once. "When are they going to announce their feelings for one another?"

"Feelings?" Rosalie sneered, "You think they're capable of such complex human emotions? They just want each other because they're both pureblood, pretty, and rich."

Lyra rolled her eyes and laughed, "Fair enough."

"You're one to talk." Elaina said, "Would you really marry someone who wasn't pureblood when it came down to it? Your mother would disown you."

"Of course I would!" Rosalie said defensively, "Mother can go to hell if she doesn't like it."

Elaina rolled her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "You'd give up everything for some Muggle boy?" She asked.

"Well I don't know about a Muggle," Rosalie said, "Not because I'm prejudiced it's just too complicated to arrange those kinds of relationships."

"Sureeee." Elaina sneered sarcastically, "It's just too "complicated"."

"What?" Rosalie asked, beginning to get annoyed, "It is. Would you marry a Muggle?"

"I already know who I'm going to marry so it's besides the point." Elaina replied, "But yes, if I was in love with a Muggle I'd marry him."

"You would not." Rosalie replied, "You're just saying that. If it-"

"Salazar!" Lyra shouted the password to the Slytherin common room, more to break up the argument than because it needed to be said so loudly.

"No need to yell." Rosalie commented, and Lyra rolled her eyes, following her friends inside.

Rosalie plopped down on a couch opposite the fire and Elaina and Lyra took seats next to her.

"Look all I'm saying is that when choosing who to marry you need to take into account all the factors." Rosalie continued and Lyra let out a sigh of exasperation.

"I mean, look at Riddle, right? His mother married a Muggle and look how that turned out!" Rosalie continued, "Muggles just don't understand us. It's not that there's anything wrong with them but they're just too...different from us."

"You know it's a slippery slope between thinking Muggles are too "different" from us to believing in Grindelwald's campaign." Elaina pointed out, her eyes glinting dangerously.

Rosalie recoiled, offended, "You know I don't support him." She snarled, "Nor am I against marrying Muggles. All I was saying is it's complicated to arrange!"

"Well perhaps it is only complicated because of the stigma surrounding it." Elaina countered.

"Yes, but the stigma is double-sided." Lyra cut in, thinking of Harry and Tom. "Muggles hate the wizarding world just as much as wizards and witches hate the Muggle world. That's why this same old problem keeps resurfacing. Grindelwald is not the first, nor the last, pureblood supremacist."

"Clearly not." Elaina sneered, looking around the Slytherin common room at the other students. "Any one of them might be the next Grindelwald."

Lyra resisted the insane urge to laugh at how accurate that statement was. Elaina was, in fact, unknowingly attending classes with the future Dark Lord.

"What I don't understand though, is how come Dumbledore doesn't fight Grindelwald?" Lyra asked, remembering her conversation with Conan earlier that day. "It's been _years_ and he hasn't moved against him. It can't possibly be simple feelings." Lyra asked.

Elaina shrugged, "I heard a rumour once that he couldn't fight him because they'd made a blood pact, but who knows if that's true. People say crazy things."

Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine, "A blood pact? What exactly is that anyway?"

"It's a kind of magical oath. A bond between two people." Rosalie explained. "It's kind of like...kind of like a blood curse in the way it operates." She said, her face turning red from the look on Elaina's face. "Both can only be lifted by the one who cast them or someone related to that person. In the case of blood pacts, both parties involved in the pact must agree to lift it which makes them even harder to break."

Lyra felt the ground go out from under her as she stared at Rosalie, barely noticing the tension Rosalie's discussion of blood curses had created between her and Elaina. Bad blood...blood pact...blood curse...were they all related? Was the key to lifting the curse of Tom's ring, saving Elaina's mother and Astoria, and defeating Grindelwald finding another way to undo blood pacts and blood curses? And the centaurs...were they that key?

"I'm sorry I- I'm late for my detention with Dumbledore." Lyra lied, standing up abruptly. "I'll see you later?"

Rosalie and Elaina nodded as Lyra nearly ran out of the common room. She had to find Tom and there was only one place he would be at this time of night. Skidding to a halt outside the doors to the library, Lyra entered the room as quietly as possible, walking straight for Tom's usual spot near the entrance to the restricted section.

Tom looked up as she approached and opened his mouth to protest but Lyra didn't give him the chance to talk.

"Riddle I know this sounds crazy but hear me out." Lyra said, "I think we need to go into the forbidden forest."

* * *

 **Also random side note but in this story Rosalie is Molly Weasley's aunt! As per the original Harry Potter series, Molly Weasley's father was a Prewett. In my story, Molly Weasley's father is Rosalie's brother.**

 **Also, in my story universe, Hermione and Ron name their daughter Rose Weasley after Rosalie - her great, great aunt!**


	28. The Forbidden Forest

**Once again, I know this was a long wait so I apologize for that! The chapters should be coming more quickly now though, the next one is already half written!**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

"The Forbidden Forest?" Tom asked, quirking an eyebrow.

Lyra nodded, pulling up a seat across from him and leaning forward on her elbows, whispering across the table conspiratorially.

"Yes. I think the centaurs might know how to lift the curse on the ring." Lyra said, "In detention, Dumbledore let something slip about how the centaurs made a blood pact with the Ministry but how they know how to lift it and if they do so, all hell could break lose." Lyra lied.

"So?" Tom snapped.

"Well I did some research and turns out blood pacts are very similar to blood curses. Both have to be lifted by either the person who cast them or a relative of that person. However...Dumbledore made it seem like the centaurs thought there was some way around that."

Tom's eyes opened slightly, his interest peaked.

"Even if this is true, how do we know the centaurs will let us approach us let alone _help_ us? You said they want to break their pact with the Ministry...that does not sound as if they are terribly fond of witches and wizards." Tom reasoned, and Lyra shook her head.

"I don't know but I think it's worth a shot. It's the only lead we've got." Lyra replied, and Tom went silent, thinking.

"Riddle, this might be our only chance." Lyra pressed, but he just ignored her, standing up and walking over to the bookshelves.

"Riddle?" Lyra cried, following him as he slowly perused the books. "What are you-"

"We ask their permission first." Tom said, thrusting a book into Lyra's hands. Lyra frowned as she looked down at the cover to see a pair of golden-haired centaurs on the front.

"What?" Lyra asked, confused.

"We ask their permission to enter their forest." Tom clarified, "Read that book. Centaurs do not like it when wizards and witches assume they can enter their lands without permission."

Lyra blinked, wondering how Tom knew this much about centaurs. Then again, Tom knew a lot about everything. For not the first time, Lyra felt her heart sink as she thought of the lost potential in the Voldemort of her time. He could have been so much more...

"How do we ask their permission?" Lyra asked.

Tom rolled his eyes, as if amused by her question, "How else would you ask anyone else permission to come visit?" He asked.

Lyra frowned in confusion, "Owls?"

Tom nodded, smirking, "Owls."

* * *

"What word is that on line four next to "and"?" Lyra whispered to Tom, as she squinted to try to read the words Dumbledore had written on the blackboard that they were supposed to be copying.

Tom shot her a dark look but answered anyway, "Ten." He whispered curtly.

"And what's that word below "remove"?" Lyra asked, and Tom sighed in annoyance.

"Just look at my notes." He whispered, pushing his notebook a little closer to her.

"Thanks." Lyra whispered, somewhat surprised he was helping her.

"Have you gotten a reply yet?" Lyra whispered to Tom, as she copiously compared her notes to Tom's.

"No." Tom replied in a curt whisper, "Now _sh_." He said, continuing to write his own notes in his perfect handwriting.

 _His handwriting is better than mine and I'm a girl_ , Lyra thought, somewhat enviously before realizing she was probably being sexist and shaking her head.

As class ended at last, Lyra stretched her hand, feeling the ache of having written too much and Tom turned to her.

"I lied. I did get a reply." He said simply, "We're going tonight."

Lyra's eyes widened in surprise, "What? Why did you say no then?"

"You were annoying me." He said, shrugging. "Meet me at the edge of the Forbidden Forest at 9:00 pm sharp. Don't be late."

"I'm never late." Lyra said, grinning and earning herself a withering look from Tom.

Lyra found it incredibly difficult to concentrate for the remainder of the day, her mind wandering back to the centaurs and the Forbidden Forest. She had never been inside the Forbidden Forest before, nor had she ever wanted to visit it. She remembered Draco coming home from Hogwarts after his first year and telling Astoria and her how he had gone into the Forbidden Forest with Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid. He'd told them how the others had ran away at the first sight of Voldemort but he hadn't been scared. Even at the age of 11, Lyra had known better than to believe his version of the story but his description of Voldemort as a blood-sucking monster had stuck with her. She had had nightmares about him for a while afterwards; dreams in which the little Tom Riddle she had met in her grandmother's basement had slowly morphed into the creature Draco had seen, his eyes turning blood red.

Lyra shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. It would not do to dwell on the past - or rather the future - when she needed to keep her wits about her. Besides, this time she would be entering the Forbidden Forest _with_ Tom Riddle - a Tom Riddle with brown eyes and a human face.

The cold October winds whipped Lyra's hair back as she walked quickly towards the forest. It was nearly November and the air smelled crisp and cold. Lyra's teeth chattered as she reached the edge of the forest, spotting Tom waiting for her over by a giant oak tree.

"You're on time." Tom remarked dryly.

"I am capable of being punctual." Lyra replied, smirking, "On occasion."

"Who knew." Tom replied, smirking as they entered the woods.

"Where do we meet them?" Lyra asked and Tom shook his head.

"They didn't say." Tom said.

"Then are we just going to wander around until we find them or get eaten by some creature?" Lyra asked, hugging her arms against herself as she shivered.

Tom snorted, "They will find us."

Lyra shot him an uncertain look out of the corner of her eye but remained silent, following along beside him. They walked in silence for what felt like an eternity, the forest becoming ever more silent and dark as they wandered deeper inside it.

"Riddle...do you know the way back?" Lyra asked uncertainly.

"Of course." Tom replied confidently and Lyra frowned, wondering how this was possible. Every tree looked the same to her. For all she knew, they could have been walking in circles for the past while and she would not have known.

"Why haven't they found us yet?" Lyra asked, a shiver running through her as the illogical and paranoid part of her brain began to question whether Tom had simply brought her out here to kill her.

"Be patient." Tom admonished her, "They'll come."

"And if they don't?" Lyra asked and Tom shot her a dark look.

"They will." He asserted, and Lyra opened her mouth to protest when she froze, feeling the ground beneath her feet beginning to shake.

Lyra and Tom exchanged a look as the eerie silence of the forest was punctuated by the distant sound of hooves pounding against the ground. Both terrified and thrilled, Lyra fingered her wand, unconsciously moving closer to Tom as the sound of the centaurs' hooves became louder and louder. At last, in the distance, the herd could be seen, a dozen or centaurs riding up to meet them.

"Let me do the talking." Tom said arrogantly and Lyra glared at him before her attention was pulled back to the approaching centaurs.

Lyra turned around, staring at the herd in fear and amazement as they rode up and surrounded them on all sides, their bows slung over their shoulders. At last, the centaurs stopped and a tall black centaur stepped forward, staring pointedly at Lyra.

"As Lyra fades from the night sky so then do you appear before us in the flesh." The centaur said, fixing Lyra intensely with his black eyes.

"Y-you know me?" Lyra asked, exchanging a look with Tom.

"I told him you would be coming with me tonight." Tom said smoothly, putting on his perfect schoolboy act, "Thank you so very much for meeting with us." He said, looking up at the centaur, "It is a great honour to be allowed passage into these woods."

The centaur turned to fix his dark impenetrable eyes on Tom, his expression darkening, before turning his attention back to Lyra. "Of course we know of you, Lyra Reed. Your coming was foretold long before we received word you wished to speak with us."

"Foretold?" Lyra asked.

"You are the traveller. The one who would change the course of history...for better or for worse." He said cryptically, and Lyra stared at him in utter shock.

"And who are you?" Lyra asked, hoping she did not sound too rude.

"I am Balthazar, the leader of this herd." The centaur said, "I did not wish to have this meeting with you but it was the will of the herd."

"I apologize if we have caused offense by coming here tonight." Tom said, bowing his head deferentially, "Perhaps it would be best if we now explained why we are here so as not to take up too much of your time?"

"We know why you are here." The centaur said gruffly, turning to glare at Tom. "Your arrival has been the subject of much debate among our group for quite some time now. We do not generally implicate ourselves in human affairs nor do we typically allow wizards of such depravity as _you_ to enter our sacred woods." Balthazar said, raising a long arm to point accusingly at Tom, whose eyes opened wide in shock.

Lyra blinked, "Riddle? What-"

"How can you ally yourself with one so evil?" Balthazar ground out, turning to glare at her instead. "Do you know what he is, girl?"

Lyra faltered, in her shock, and in her silence, Tom spoke up, "I am very sorry if there has been a misunderstanding-" He began politely, but the centaur cut him off.

"Do not lie, boy." Balthazar commanded, and Lyra was surprised to see Tom actually take a step backwards. "We know what you have done. How you have _defiled_ your own soul."

"I don't know what you-"

"LIAR!" Balthazar cried, and in one swift motion he had his bow out and aimed at Tom's head.

Lyra felt her heart beat quicken as she struggled to think of a way to diffuse the tension. "Wait!" She cried, running in front of Tom and staring pleadingly at the centaur. "If you know who I am, as you say you do, and if I trust him, despite all I know - despite what happened to my parents - then you must trust my judgment and leave him unharmed."

"Your judgment is clouded-" Balthazar began, but a tall white-haired centaur stepped forward, placing her hand on Balthazar's arm.

"The girl is right." The centaur said, "His fate is hers to determine. What claim do you have on his life?"

"Aquila you dishonor me!" Balthazar roared, turning to glare at Aquila.

"You dishonor yourself, father." Aquila replied icily, "You saw the stars. Same as I."

"The boy does not deserve to live." Balthazar growled, turning to glare at Tom.

"Forgive me, but who are you to determine who deserves to live?" A chestnut-haired centaur to his right asked, and Balthazar turned to glare at him.

"This is not the time nor place, Aeronian." Balthazar ground out.

"Yes and Balthazar is right." Yet another centaur, sandy-haired centaur spoke up, "In what universe is that boy anything more than a monster-"

"In our own!" Aeronian cried, "Did you not understand the message that was written in the stars? Or are you too blind, Omnia?"

"You mean messages." Omnia retorted, "They were so twisted, winding, fragmented..."

"They had a single ending." Aquila interrupted, and all fell silent.

Lyra and Tom exchanged a look and before she knew what she was doing, Lyra reached for Tom's hand and held it in her own. She felt him start with surprise at the touch but he let her hold it, likely knowing full well it would increase his chances of gaining the sympathy of the centaurs. The gesture was not lost on the centaurs, whose eyes fell to their interlocked hands.

"What ending?" Lyra asked, unable to contain her curiosity.

Aeronian raised an eyebrow, "Do you not know, girl?"

Lyra shook her head and Tom looked at her, apprehension written plainly on his face.

"You want to remove the curse?" Aquila asked, stepping forward despite the dark look on her father's face.

Lyra nodded, and Aquila smiled, turning to Tom.

"Then here is a riddle for you, Riddle." She said and Tom looked up at her, his grip on Lyra's hand tightening whether he meant for it to or not.

"The place is where you first saw red.

The date is when the ghouls are said,

to walk the same red earth we tread.

The girl of summer stars must be,

beside you though she will not see.

Bring back the one you cast away,

and the one too weak to stay.

Obtain approval from them there,

then speak these words with great care:

 _Per potentiam meum sanguinem, in quas maledicta congessi in hunc amovere lapis."_

Falling silent, Aquila lifted the flap of her bag and handed a scroll of parchment to Tom. Finally letting go of Lyra's hand, Tom unrolled the parchment carefully, his eyes widening in surprise. Lyra leaned over his shoulder, her own eyes widening in amazement as she stared at the very same words the centaur had just spoken.

"This is a dangerous game to play, daughter." Balthazar breathed, and Aquila turned to look at him, the smile slipping from her lips.

"I am merely fulfilling what was written, father." Aquila replied.

Balthazar huffed in annoyance, "Well it is done now. And you two, you have long outstayed your welcome." He said, glaring at Lyra and Tom.

Lyra nodded, pulling at Tom's arm, "Thank you, thank you so much."

"You are sure this will lift the curse?" Tom asked, looking up at Aquila impassively.

The centaur nodded, "It is written."

"Let's go, Riddle." Lyra muttered, glancing fearfully at the glaring faces of Balthazar and Omnia.

After a moment, Tom nodded, letting her lead him away from the centaurs. As soon as they were out of sight of the centaurs, Tom shook his arm out of her grasp and walked in silence beside her.

"Well that went well." Lyra said quietly as they walked through the dark forest, rustling sounds coming from either sides of them.

Lyra shivered from fear, never having liked the Forbidden Forest much. She did not wish to be eaten after all. Tom made no reply, evidently deep in thought. As they reached the edge of the forest, Lyra stopped short, seeing a tall figure clad in black in the open field ahead of them.

"Riddle." Lyra whispered, "Who is that?"

Tom stopped as well, squinting through the darkness at the figure. "No one saw us leave. I made sure of it." He whispered, sounding slightly perturbed.

"Then what is a professor doing out this late?" Lyra asked, assuming the figure had to be a professor. It was so tall after all...

"There's another one." Tom whispered, pointing to their left and Lyra shivered as she realized the figure was not touching the ground.

"Riddle..." Lyra whispered, feeling a waft of familiar coldness wash over her. "They're not professors..."

"Dementors." Tom said quietly, a rare look of fear on his usually confident face.

"I thought they weren't supposed to be within school grounds?" Lyra asked, but Tom snorted.

"When have dementors ever followed rules?" Tom scoffed, but Lyra gulped as she heard his voice waver with fear.

"Should we each tackle one?" Lyra asked, "You can cast a patronus right?"

Tom remained silent, a shadow falling over his face and Lyra felt goose bumps raise on her arms as the air around her turned colder. They were getting closer.

"Riddle?" Lyra asked, more urgently this time, "What should we do?"

"You go get the one nearest." Tom said, "I'll get the other."

Lyra nodded, "Okay." She breathed, feeling adrenaline course through her at the daunting task ahead. She had never actually used her patronus against a real dementor after all.

Lyra turned to Tom, her heart hammering in her chest as she looked up at his deathly pale face, "Okay, on the count of three."

Tom nodded mutely and Lyra began counting, "One, two, three!"

Lyra took off running towards the nearest dementor, the image of her mother pushing her on the swings rushing to the front of her mind. " _Expecto Patronum_!" She cried, watching as a silver lynx burst from the end of her wand, lighting up the darkness and running straight for the dementor. She held her breath as the dementor struggled against the patronus before finally retreating, flying up and away from the silver cat.

Lyra turned around, overwhelmed with relief the spell had worked under pressure. She looked in the direction of the other dementor, expecting to see Tom but instead saw only the other dementor. Lyra frowned, looking towards the trees but Tom was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

 **Sorry for the cliffhanger! Next chapter will be up soon ;)**


	29. What happiness felt like

**I am very excited for this chapter! It has been in my mind for a looong time and I'm so glad I was finally able to share it with you all.**

 **Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Tom watched Lyra run off towards the nearest dementor, the sinking feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach only growing as she successfully cast a patronus. He tore his eyes away from Lyra and the silver lynx that had burst out of her wand and ran to the right, keeping well within the tree line. He figured that if he could get far enough away from the dementors he could make it back to the castle without having to run into any of them. He kept running until he came to the back of the Herbology greenhouse and then ran along behind the structure, keeping his eyes on the castle in front of him.

He reached the end of the greenhouse and peaked out around the corner. Not seeing any dementors, he began running towards the castle as fast as he could, cold fear gripping his body. He felt himself begin to shiver as the air around him began to cool and Tom was filled with sickening dread. A shadowlike figure descended from the sky, landing in front of him and Tom stopped, his shaking hands reaching for his wand. The dementor slid forward, its long black cape brushing the ground and Tom felt his dread turn to panic.

He couldn't do it. He had never been able to cast a patronus and tonight was not going to be any different. His only hope had been to reach the castle without running into any of them and it was well too late for that.

Stumbling backwards, Tom lifted his wand, trying to think of a happy memory. He imagined the first time he had found out he was a wizard and tried the spell but little more than a silver wisp emerged from his wand. The dementor approached slowly and Tom's panic began to turn into a strange sense of emptiness. He had no happy memories. That was why the spell had never worked for him. No amount of intelligence could make up for it.

" _Expecto Patronum_!" Tom cried once again, imagining the first time he had seen Hogwarts. Once again, only a thin wisp of silver fog emerged, and as the light from his failed patronus disappeared, Tom felt his hope evaporate along with it.

He stumbled backwards, he wanted the feeling of emptiness that had begun to swell up inside of him to go away but it only grew as the dementor approached, reaching out it skeletal fingers. Tom felt his strength fail him and he fell backwards onto the hard ground, despair filling him as he realized he would have his soul sucked out because despite the lies he told himself, he was weak. He could not even cast a simple patronus and for this he would pay the ultimate price. He would never be a great wizard, he would never be anything. His life would never amount to anything and no one would remember him when he died. He would be just one more abandoned orphan that was forgotten about because he had never really been exceptional after all. It had just been a lie he had told himself.

The dementor approached and Tom screamed in pain as he felt what was left of his shattered soul being pulled from his body. It was pain worse than even the pain he had felt when he had split his soul. For the first time in his life, Tom actually wished for the one thing he had spent so much time and effort running from: death. But he knew he would not die; his Horcruxes would live on even as the rest of his soul was consumed.

Tom felt his consciousness begin to slip away when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye a bright light appeared, growing larger and larger. Before he knew it the light had consumed his body and he barely registered the dementor slip away silently as he felt an overwhelming wave of relief wash over him. Crumbling to the ground, Tom felt the despair and pain of just a few moments ago vanish; replaced instead by a feeling of utter peace. In fact, Tom could not remember ever feeling so safe and content before and he wondered vaguely whether this was what happiness felt like.

As if from very far away, Tom heard someone call his name and felt a warm hand take hold of his own hand, while another pressed itself to his neck, presumably checking for a pulse. As the light began to fade, Tom forced his eyes open to find Lyra kneeling next to him, a look of genuine concern on her face. As their eyes met, a look of relief filled her face and she smiled, bending down to hug him before he knew what was happening. Tom felt a wave of adrenaline rush through him as she hugged him gently before sitting back up to push back the hair that had fallen onto his forehead.

"I'm so sorry," Lyra said, and Tom frowned, at a loss as to why she would ever be sorry when she had never done anything wrong. He had tricked her into fighting the dementors on her own and then abandoned her to them and she was apologizing to _him_?

"Was it you...?" Tom croaked, barely able to talk; his fuzzy brain was still trying to wrap itself around what had just happened.

"What?" Lyra asked, frowning, her hand still holding on to his own rather protectively.

"Your...patronus?" He asked, and Lyra nodded.

"Yes, it was my patronus." Lyra replied, smiling with relief, "I'm so sorry I didn't see what was happening sooner."

Tom snorted, squeezing his eyes shut. Lyra was behaving like a bloody Gryffindor; she had not been required to play the hero. He should have been able to protect himself and the fact that he had been so vulnerable, so defenseless...it made him feel sick. And with this realization, the bubble of peace in which he had been burst and Tom felt the usual undercurrent of anger that so often simmered beneath his surface return.

"We need to get you to the hospital wing." Lyra said, and Tom shook his head, pulling his hand roughly out of Lyra's and attempting to push himself up into a sitting position.

"I'm fine." Tom snapped, struggling to his feet, despite the wave of dizziness that overcame him. As he tottered on his feet, Lyra caught him, and Tom tried to push her away, stumbling away from her as he struggled to regain his balance.

"Tom..." Lyra began, her voice trailing off as Tom shot her a dark look.

"Don't call me Tom." He snapped.

"Why couldn't you cast your own patronus?" Lyra asked, and Tom felt his blood boil. He longed to curse her but he also knew that now was not the time to get into a physical altercation with the one person able to help him should he pass out.

"And why did you not go for the dementor you said you would go for?" Lyra asked, and Tom could tell from the tone of her voice that she had figured out he had betrayed her. This realization only made him bristle with even more anger for some reason.

"Riddle!?" Lyra asked, angry now. "You ran away, you coward." She snarled, "Was it because you knew you couldn't cast a patronus? So you made me face the dementors alone? You could have just TOLD me!" Lyra cried.

"Told you?" He sneered viciously, "Reed, you misunderstand who I am. I do not understand how you can still be oblivious to my true nature when you know more about me than anyone else...and yet you still seem to entertain delusions about me. You seem surprised I betrayed you. If this is not true stupidity then-"

"Do you understand why the centaurs helped us?" Lyra interjected, his eyes brimming with fury, "Well, do you?"

"What does this have to do with-" Tom began, but once again Lyra interrupted him.

"They only gave us the key to undo the curse because the stars told them you were not a monster." Lyra said, "Or did you miss that important piece of information?"

Tom felt something uncomfortable stir inside him and he drowned it out with a wave of anger, "They were wrong." He snarled, "I have killed-"

"I know what you've done!" Lyra snapped, "I also know you couldn't cast a patronus tonight because you have never been happy a single day in your life. So honestly, in light of that, what you've done and what you aspire to be is quite understandable. How could you be filled with anything but anger and violence when it is all you have ever known."

"You know _nothing_ about me." Tom snarled, but Lyra cut him off once again.

"You know nothing about yourself either!" She cried, "You're so blinded by your own anger and fear that you can't even see how desperately unhappy you are in the path you are headed down."

"I _will_ be happy." Tom snarled, incensed, "I will be happy when I achieve my goals."

"Your goals?" Lyra asked, laughing mirthlessly, "What goals? Genocide, control, revenge? You could do anything with your life, you could be anything, you are so incredibly brilliant and talented and- and you're going to throw it all away on satisfying your desire to hurt other people the way they hurt you?"

"Why should I not!?" Tom cried, unable to control the words that poured out of his mouth in the weakened state the dementor had left him in. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that his motivations and his goals were less simple than she made them out to be, but he found himself unable to form the right words. "Why should I not get revenge? Why do they deserve to live after what they have done?"

"Yes but-" Lyra began, but Tom cut her off, enraged.

"Why should I not hate my father for abandoning me in the horrible orphanage? I do not regret killing him, nor will I ever regret it. Why should I not hate the Muggles in my orphanage when they have always hated me? Why should I live in secret, afraid of Muggles finding out what I truly am, when I am more powerful than any of them? Why are wizards the ones hiding when they could easily force Muggles into submission?"

"Riddle, calm down, I-" Lyra tried again, a look of panic forming on her face.

"No, you listen to me." Tom snarled, "You look at me with that same expression of disgust that Dumbledore wears when he speaks to me. The same look that the centaurs gave me, the same look the filthy Muggles in the orphanage have always given me. Everyone who has ever known who I truly am has hated me because, Reed, I am a monster. You know it, I know it, the centaurs knew it...and I do not care. I do not feel remorse, I do not care at all. That is the simple truth. And why should I? Why should I care for people who do not even like me? Why should I follow rules that constrain me when I could easily rise above them and become the one who _makes_ the rules? You think my goals are childish. You think my motivations are simple. Tell me, what more is there to get from life than power? What other goal is higher? I am no fool, Lyra Reed, and I know perfectly well who I am and what I want."

"What about happiness?" Lyra breathed, "You have already tasted power. You've tasted revenge. Neither experiences were enough to let you cast a patronus."

Tom snorted derisively, "If power does not one day make me happy then so be it. I would rather be powerful and unhappy than happy but weak, submissive, and worthless." He snarled.

"You can never be worthless." Lyra said but Tom snorted.

"Even you do not believe that." He sneered, "You think the world would be better off without me."

"I don't." Lyra protested, but Tom carried on.

"I know you do, do not try to deny it. You think I am worse than worthless."

"Then why did I save you from that dementor?" Lyra cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "Why did I protect you from the centaurs?"

"Because you _need_ me." Tom snarled, "You need me to help you fight against Grindelwald."

Lyra opened her mouth to protest but no words came out and she closed it again. Tom felt a wave of bitter anger wash over him as her silence proved his point and he turned away, not wanting to look at her anymore. His mind flashed back to the moment she had saved him from the dementor, the look of concern on her face, the way she had held his hand so protectively. She had not cared about him, the safety and peace he had felt had been an illusion created by her patronus, that had not been what happiness felt like. It had simply been relief from the pain of having his soul sucked out and her apparent concern for him had been nothing more than her self-interested fear that he would die and be unable to help her get her revenge on Grindelwald. She too wanted revenge, Tom thought bitterly. She judged him for wanting revenge and yet she wanted it herself. She was nothing but a fraud and a liar and a manipulative snake.

"Riddle, I-" Lyra began but Tom cut her off.

"Just- just stop. Just shut up." He snapped, turning to leave and for once she didn't hurry to catch up with him. In fact, she didn't follow him at all and Tom angrily shoved away the small part of him that was childishly upset by this fact. That small part of him had gotten used to her following him around and trying to calm him down when he was irritated or mischievously provoke him into petty fights. That small part of him had to go because Lyra Reed was nothing more than a nuisance, Tom reminded himself. It did not matter what she did or thought because he hated her company anyway. It didn't matter that she hated him...he hated her more and nothing would ever change that. He would not allow it.

* * *

Lyra stood rooted to the spot, unable to move as Tom walked away. She had been so close to telling him the truth about everything. How her real mission was to stop him from becoming Voldemort, not to stop Grindelwald. How she had gone to the future to get the ring to save him from Grindelwald. How she had wanted to kill him but had changed her mind when she'd realized doing so would only perpetuate the cycle of violence. How everything, _everything_ , he thought he knew about her and her motivations was wrong.

But she couldn't. It was too early, he was still too set on becoming Voldemort. It was too risky, it was just too...

She couldn't do it.

And then she had frozen. She had had no idea what to tell him. How to convince him she had actually felt fear when she had seen the dementor try to suck out his soul. How she had actually cared. He would not have believed her no matter what she said. So she had remained silent.

And then the anger had returned. The anger and pain that he had betrayed her, that he had left her alone to face the dementors rather than be brave enough to admit he couldn't cast a patronus. Why should she care about him when he clearly did not care about her? It was not as if they were friends, hell, they were more akin to enemies than anything else. Could him leaving her even be considered a betrayal when they had never been a team to begin with?

But how could she expect any more from him? He was Tom Marvolo Riddle - he did not know how to care about other people. He did not understand friendship, let alone love or affection or empathy or _anything_ akin to normal human emotions. Even happiness - one of the most basic human emotions - was foreign to him. He had essentially never experienced a positive emotion in his life save perhaps vindictive glee or the satisfaction that came with revenge or accomplishments.

Lyra shook her head, feeling incredibly overwhelmed and confused. She pitied him and she felt guilty for lying to him and for letting him think she didn't care whether he lived or died, and yet she hated him for not caring whether _she_ lived or died. It was too much to process.

And then there was the unwavering fact that he was still responsible for her parents' deaths and try as she might she had not fully forgiven him for that. Lyra closed her eyes against the oncoming tears and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering from the barrage of emotions assaulting her, rather than from the cold.

The centaurs had said there was only one ending to their story and Lyra wondered anxiously what that ending would be. Based on the angry tirade he had went off on tonight, it would take a miracle or two to convince Tom power and revenge should not be the be all and end all of his existence. Was it really possible to stop him from becoming Voldemort? Was he even capable of normal human emotional responses or had the ability been lost long ago. Was it too late for him?

No, Lyra thought resolutely, remembering the look of relief and peace on his face when she had knelt over him. He had squeezed her hand back, he had wanted her to be there. And, Lyra realized, he had been hurt when she had failed to convince him that she was not just using him for her own ends. There had been an unmistakable note of bitterness in his voice when he had told her he knew she thought he was a monster, that he was less than worthless. It pained him, whether he realized it consciously or not, to think she hated him. He was capable of normal human emotions he had just never _used_ them, Lyra reasoned. He simply repressed his pain until it turned into anger and then he directed the anger at the world.

All she had to do was awaken the emotions that lay dormant in him. But to do that, she would have to make him feel safe enough to allow himself to feel them. He would need to trust her - trust that she cared about him.

Did she care about him? Lyra wondered genuinely. There was a part of her that still hated him, still resented him for what he'd done, what he would do, and how he behaved. There was a growing part of her though that pitied him, that understood him, and that wanted to help him. Was that the same as caring about him?

Lyra shook her head, to clear her thoughts. She needed a plan. She needed to find a way to befriend Tom if she was really going to stop him from becoming Voldemort. It was not enough to simply challenge him and provoke him into thinking about things, she needed to give him a _reason_ to care about and trust another human being. He had been alone all his life and this was one of the biggest problems she needed to face. She had to make sure he was never alone again. And then she had to make him happy.

Lyra sighed, knowing her mission was a fool's errand. However, seeing as it was the only alternative to cold-blooded murder, she had to try. She could not let the future remain unchanged and she could not kill him. It was the only way.


	30. Not a slippery slope

**Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

 **Good guess on the riddle Elle Light, that's a very interesting interpretation of the words! You are pretty close and right about some of it. This chapter lets you in on the meaning of most of the riddle but there are still a few extra pieces of missing information that will be revealed in the next chapter.**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Despite the pain it took to drag herself out of bed after having been out so late, Lyra set her alarm early enough to make it down to the Great Hall by the time Tom went down for breakfast. She had made up her mind that the best way to go about befriending Tom Riddle was to start out by apologizing for all the horrible things she had said to him - even if he had deserved them at the time. She had spent the better part of the previous night crafting exactly what she wanted to say to him because, as Lyra knew too well, communicating with Tom was a difficult to master art.

Lyra sighed, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes as she dressed for the day. Things had certainly changed since the day she had first arrived in the past. She had been so angry, so blind with rage and grief...she had been like Tom, Lyra realized with a start. She had killed a woman, felt nothing, and then she had made plans to kill Tom. Lyra froze, remembering the Carrow woman she had killed and felt a wave of guilt wash over her. The woman had been horrible and cruel but had she really deserved to _die_? If the future Lord Voldemort deserved a second chance, then surely his Death Eaters did too. This was yet another reason, among the millions of other reasons, why she needed to change the future.

Entering the Great Hall, Lyra found it nearly empty as usual. To her surprise and slight disappointment, Tom was not at the Slytherin table yet. Taking her usual seat, Lyra poured herself a bowl of cereal and tried to remember exactly what it was she wanted to tell him. For some reason, she felt more nervous about this upcoming conversation than usual and every time the door to the Great Hall opened, Lyra turned to look at it, expecting to see Tom enter.

But he never did. Lyra finished her breakfast as the other seventh-year Slytherins began arriving and she sighed, realizing she had sacrificed her sleep for nothing. Apparently, Tom had decided he was not interested in breakfast today. Lyra felt her stomach knot together nervously as she wondered whether his apparent lack of appetite had anything to do with the events of the previous night.

Noticing Druella and Olive coming over to the table, Lyra figured now was as good a time as ever to leave. Gathering her things, she left the Great Hall, figuring she still had time to find Tom and talk to him before class started. Stopping by the library, she checked his favourite spot - only to find it empty. Scanning the rest of the library, Lyra found no sign of Tom and the worry in the pit of her stomach began to grow. Had he left the school again like last time?

Remembering Conan had told her Tom's gang met in the Room of Requirement, Lyra decided to try the room. She stopped outside the blank slate of wall she knew hid the door to the room and paused, wondering what she should be wishing for to gain entry to the room.

 _I need the room where the Knights of Walpurgis meet. I need the room where the Knights of Walpurgis meet. I need the room where the Knights of Walpurgis meet._

Lyra thought, pacing back and forth in front of the wall, praying silently it would work. However, to her great consternation, nothing happened. Lyra bit her lip, thinking.

 _I need to find Tom Riddle._ She tried, pacing back and forth three times. Still nothing happened.

Lyra sighed, wondering whether she should just wait outside the door for him until he inevitably came out. Then again, she didn't even know for sure he was _in_ the room.

Looking down at her watch, Lyra realized it was nearly time for class anyway. It was Potions, and Tom was in that class, so worst came to worst, she could assault him with her apologies and friendly overtures after class.

Turning to leave, Lyra jumped when she heard a door open behind her and saw the boy she had been looking for emerge from inside of it. He froze, his eyes widening in irritated surprise when he saw her.

"How long have you been out here?" Tom asked apprehensively, closing the door behind him.

Lyra watched as the wooden door dissolved back into a blank stretch of wall and shook her head. "Not long." She assured him, "I was just trying to find you because you weren't at breakfast and I wanted to apologize for last night." Lyra said, her heart sinking at the way his face darkened with every word she spoke.

Tom eyed her sharply for a moment before letting out a sigh of exasperation, "Reed." He said firmly, "Forget it."

"No, you see I think there was a misunderstanding, I-" Lyra began, but Tom turned to fix her sternly.

"In case you have not noticed, Potions starts in less than five minutes and I, for one, would like to be on time." Tom said smoothly, his face impassive, "Now, would you like to join me or not?"

Lyra hesitated for a moment before relenting. She supposed the discussion could wait until after class.

"Great." Tom said, turning sharply on his heel.

Lyra followed him, biting her tongue as her mind tried desperately to think of what to say. She had never felt nervous or uncomfortable around him before...so why was she so tongue-tied now? Since when had she cared so much what he thought of her or how her words affected him? How had everything changed overnight just because of one stupid fight?

But it had been more than the fight. She had seen him completely helpless and she had saved his life. She had felt afraid when she had seen the dementor swoop down on him and she had been so relieved he was safe that she had _hugged_ him. It had taken him almost dying for her to realize that not only had she lost any desire to kill him, she now also cared about his safety. For better or for worse, she cared about him now and suddenly that fact terrified her.

Lyra rubbed her finger across the stone on her ring and wondered whether this was the beginning of something more. She certainly did not love him - not even close - but she _was_ actively trying to befriend him. How quickly could friendship spiral downwards into something more...something more scary.

Lyra shook her head, feeling her hands begin to shake. She had promised herself she would not fall in love with Tom Riddle. She would not, _could_ not...

Lyra shot him a nervous glance out of the corner of her eye. His handsome face - it was handsome...objectively speaking - was impassive, his dark eyes intense and yet also far away. He was always deep in thought, Lyra realized, quickly looking away.

Lyra was jolted from her thoughts as they reached the Potions classroom and Slughorn turned to greet them, rather loudly.

"Ah there you are my two brightest students!" He boomed and Lyra forced a smile onto her face, despite the inner turmoil she felt.

"I was waiting for you two to invite you to a little Christmas party I'll be hosting at the end of November. It's an annual little get together I like to throw. Some important people will be there - I daresay it'll be a good opportunity to meet some of the wizarding world's finest. You two will come, will you not?"

Tom put on his most brilliantly charming smile and nodded, "Of course, sir. I wouldn't miss it for the world. It is an event I look forward to each year."

Slughorn beamed at this, grabbing Tom's arm and shaking it rather excitedly, "I always knew I could count on you, my boy! It wouldn't be a party without the Head Boy, after all." He said, giving Tom a wink.

"And you, Lyra? You will come as well?" Slughorn asked, turning to her.

Lyra forced a smile, "Of course, sir." She said, "Thank you for the invitation."

"Wonderful!" Slughorn boomed, "It will be a night to remember."

Tom nodded, "Yes, indeed it will be." He said, as he slowly inched his way away from Slughorn and towards the back of the room.

Lyra quickly followed him, eager to get away. Tom walked quickly between the desks taking his usual place at the far end of the room and Lyra made a beeline for Elaina and Rosalie, feeling a small wave of relief wash over her at being able to put some distance between her and Tom.

What was happening to her? Lyra wondered, feeling panicked as she muddled her way through preparing the ingredients for her potion. She needed to get a handle on herself fast. Friendship does not mean love, Lyra told herself firmly. She had many friends but that did not mean she loved them romantically. Friendship was _not_ a slippery slope into love. She could befriend Tom and it could be entirely, totally, absolutely platonic, Lyra reminded herself.

"Lyra!" Rosalie cried and Lyra jumped, knocking over her tub of eel eyes.

"What?" She asked, recovering from her shock.

"I've been calling your name for the past five minutes and you've been lost in some day dream." Rosalie said, eyeing her suspiciously over the steam from her cauldron. "What's up with you? You look as if you've seen a boggart."

Lyra shook her head, "Sorry, nothing. Just thinking about everything I have to do for school this week." Lyra lied, "What were you saying?"

Rosalie looked unconvinced but let it go, "I was asking if you're coming to Hogsmeade this weekend."

"This weekend?" Lyra asked, "Um, don't I need permission or something?" She asked and Rosalie rolled her eyes.

"You're 17, you can do what you want." She reminded her and Lyra privately chided herself for forgetting she was supposed to be 17. Then again, seeing as Dumbledore was treating her as an underage witch anyway, seeing as he had no proof otherwise, she wondered whether she would be allowed to go regardless.

"True." Lyra said, nodding, "Okay then I'll come! Are you going?"

Rosalie blushed and Lyra quirked an eyebrow, "Yes but...well I'll tell you about it later but I kind of have a...date."

Lyra's eyes flew open in surprise and she stared at her friend, "You what!?" She asked, forgetting about her own problems as a wave of excitement washed through her.

"Shhhh." Rosalie admonished her, "I'll tell you later. I just wanted to make sure you were going so 'Laina wasn't alone."

Lyra smiled, a warm feeling spreading through her at the fact that Rosalie and Elaina had repaired their friendship enough that Rosalie had thought it necessary to make sure Elaina wouldn't be alone for the Hogsmeade trip.

Remembering Elaina, Lyra froze, realizing she had forgotten to ask the centaurs about the blood curse on her family. All they had given her and Tom was a riddle and a line to say...but she doubted this procedure would be applicable to Elaina's family as well. Lyra mentally slapped herself for being so stupid and aggressively stirred her potion wondering whether she ought to send the centaurs another owl requesting yet another visit...

Perhaps, Lyra reasoned, she had better try adjusting whatever the riddle told her and Tom to do first before making contact with the centaurs again... They had not exactly been thrilled to see her and Tom last time.

As class ended, Lyra packed up her things as quickly as possible, her stomach flipping nervously in anticipation of the difficult conversation she knew she had to have with Tom. Before either Elaina or Rosalie had even cleaned their cauldrons, Lyra told them she would see them later and ran off to catch up to Tom who was about to leave the classroom.

"Riddle, wait!" Lyra called, reaching him just as he stepped out into the hallway.

Tom turned around reluctantly, "Yes?" He asked tersely, raising an eyebrow.

"We need to talk about what happened yesterday-" Lyra began, and Tom cut her off.

"No, Reed." He snapped, "We don't."

"Yes we do!" Lyra argued, "I was thinking about what you said, and I realized I've been unfair to you these past few months. The things I've said to you, the things I've _done_ to you...I can understand why you would think I am just using you but-"

A look of pure fury on his face, Tom turned and began walking away from her and Lyra started after him. "Riddle, I know you don't believe me when I say I didn't just save you last night because I needed you to fight Grindelwald, but the truth is I actually was worried about you. If you want proof, you can look in my memories if you want." She offered, trying desperately to keep up with his quick pace.

At this, Tom stopped and turned to stare at her incredulously, "You really think I want to relive last night?"

Lyra faltered; he had a point. Almost getting your soul sucked out by a dementor was likely not a memory you would like to revisit.

"Right." She said, nodding, "Then I guess all I wanted to say was that I do care...about you. I'm not just using you." Lyra said, her cheeks burning, and Tom stared at her in silence, his face impassive.

After a moment, a dangerous smirk formed on his face and Tom laughed coldly. "How very touching." He sneered, "It is unfortunate, however, that I simply do not care. I apologize if I gave any impression otherwise."

Lyra bit her lip, knowing full well that if Tom was putting in this much effort into proving he did not care, then he clearly did care quite a lot. Tom was a master at feigning indifference and of fooling everyone, including himself. But Lyra had seen a glimpse of the truth last night - of the hurt and fear that lay behind his strong façade - and she made a promise to herself never to be fooled by his act again.

"That's fine, I just wanted to let you know." Lyra said diplomatically, and Tom quirked an eyebrow.

"Anyway," Lyra said, deciding a change of topic was in order, "Have you thought any more about the riddle?"

Tom snorted, "Wouldn't you like to know." He sneered, and Lyra tried to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Actually while we're on the topic of last night, I have a few questions." Tom began and Lyra felt her stomach flip, "If revenge, as you say, is so pointless, then why are you so obsessed with getting revenge on Grindelwald?"

"It's not revenge, it's prevention." Lyra replied quickly, "I'm not trying to hurt him, I'm just trying to take away his ability to become immortal - which would be really bad for everyone."

Tom scoffed, "So you, the girl who used the _Cruciatus Curse_ on me just for taunting you about your dead parents, wouldn't harm a hair on the head of the man who actually killed your parents."

Lyra shook her head, "At first I wanted to kill him." She admitted, "I was so angry...I killed one of his followers." She said and Tom's eyes widened in surprise.

"You what?" He asked sharply.

Lyra looked away, feeling ashamed and on the verge of tears, "I killed a woman. She was chasing me and I was about to escape...but instead of just escaping I stopped. I turned around, I waited for her, and I killed her."

Tom stared at her as if seeing her for the first time and Lyra felt more exposed than she had ever felt before, "I regret it now. Every time I think about it, I regret it. I was insane with grief, I didn't know or care what I was doing, I just wanted revenge. It took torturing you for me to realize what I was becoming and snap me out of the state I was in." Lyra said. "After that incident I've been slowly returning to my normal self...but I know now, what I am capable of. I'm a murderer too...just like you."

Tom was silent, his eyes burning a hole in the ground, so Lyra continued, "That's why I know revenge is pointless. No, it's worse than pointless...it's destructive. It only makes things worse for everyone."

"Why did the centaurs say my fate was yours to determine?" Tom asked suddenly and Lyra's heart skipped a beat. She had been hoping he had missed that piece of information.

"I think because you want to be the next Grindelwald. Seeing as my parents were killed because of one pureblood supremacist dictator, it makes sense that I would have more claim to your life than the centaurs would." Lyra reasoned, shrugging.

Tom frowned, looking as if he did not quite believe her and Lyra quickly changed the subject. "What did they mean when they said you defiled your soul?" Lyra asked, noticing the way Tom's jaw tightened imperceptibly at the question.

"I suppose they were referring to the murders I committed." Tom said and Lyra frowned.

"But I have also killed and they didn't think I'd defiled _my_ soul." She countered and Tom shook his head.

"You killed one woman, in the heat of the moment, after your parents had been killed by a man she worked for." Tom said, rolling his eyes, "It was also while she was chasing you, probably to kill you as well. At best it was self-defence, at worst, it was a crime of passion."

"But it was still murder." Lyra protested.

"It wasn't the same." Tom said firmly, "You did not premeditate on the murder. It was an impulsive act...the murders I committed were well-thought out, pre-planned and rational."

" _Rational_?" Lyra asked incredulously.

"My point is, Reed." Tom snapped, "I did not kill randomly. I was methodically, careful, and logical. For this reason alone, the murders I have committed could be said to have defiled my soul more than the one, impulsive act you carried out."

"Does killing actually defile the soul though?" Lyra asked.

Tom scoffed, "Not literally, no."

Lyra let out a breath of relief, having been worried for a moment, and the two fell into silence.

After a moment, Tom looked up and examined her face carefully, "When is the constellation Lyra in the sky?"

Lyra blinked, confused at the change of topic before remembering the riddle the centaurs had given them. "Oh, the girl of summer stars is me." She said, "Lyra is brightest in the summer."

Tom nodded, "Good." He said, "And another thing...you said my eyes turned red once before?"

Lyra smothered her surprise at his reaction to finding out she would be the one who would have to witness the ritual. She had been expecting him to be angry she would be there, not...happy?

Setting aside this interesting information for a later time, Lyra nodded, "They flash red when you are angry, turn entirely red when you are furious." She said, pausing, "Do you...do you know why?"

Tom was silent for a moment before pulling the piece of parchment on which the riddle was written out of his pocket. "The place is where you first saw red." He read, "I think I know where that was."

"Where was it?" Lyra asked but Tom ignored her.

"The date is when the ghouls are said, to walk the same red earth we tread." Tom continued, "Well that is obviously Halloween. Which means it is in two days."

Lyra nodded. "The girl of summer stars must be, beside you though she will not see." Tom read, "Well that means you must come with me but you're not allowed to see what I am doing."

"What are you doing?" Lyra asked but Tom only shushed her, continuing to read.

"Bring back the one you cast away, and the one too weak to stay. Obtain approval from them there..." Tom trailed off into silence, and Lyra looked at him quizzically.

"Who did you cast away?" Lyra asked, "And who was too weak to stay? To stay where?"

Tom was silent for a moment, and Lyra wondered whether he was considered whether or not she could be trusted with the answer.

"I believe", Tom said at last, "I am supposed to resurrect my parents."


	31. Hogsmeade

**Thanks once again for the reviews AlexisDumbee, Skepticalfox, Ai Star, Elle Light, and Cassie-011!**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _"Riddle!"_

 _Tom turned around at the familiar sound of Lyra's voice to see the blonde girl running up to meet him._

 _"What do you want?" Tom snapped, wanting nothing more than to escape into his room where Lyra wouldn't be able to follow him. He could tell she was angry with him, but then again, when was she not?_

 _"I know what you did." She snarled, her face contorted into a look of fury, "The centaurs told me what you did."_

 _Tom felt a flicker of fear - could the centaurs have told her about his Horcruxes? Putting on his best look of innocent confusion, Tom shook his head slowly._

 _"What are you talking about-" He began, but Lyra interrupted him._

 _"Don't lie to me!" She cried, pulling out her wand and pointing it at his face._

 _Tom took a step backwards and closed his hand around his own wand. He was about to lift his wand to curse her when her hair began darkening until it was pitch black. His eyes widening in confusion, Tom stumbled away from her as her face and the rest of her body turned black as well. Tom's heart beat quickened in fear as Lyra's features contorted into those of a dementor and the air around him chilled. Cold dread gripped him as he stared in horror at the creature in front of him._

 _"Crucio!" The dementor cried in Lyra's voice and Tom crumbled to the ground, screaming in agony._

 _In between waves of unbearable pain, Tom stared up at the dark figure approaching him._

 _"You are dead, Tom Riddle." The dementor spoke in Lyra's voice._

 _No, Tom thought desperately. It was impossible. His Horcruxes would save him - would they not? He couldn't die._

 _"No one can live without a soul." The dementor said before opening its dark cavernous mouth and Tom screamed._

"Riddle!"

Tom sat up in bed with a start, his heart pounding in his chest and his throat sore. The drapes of his four poster bed had been pulled back despite the incantations he had cast upon them to prevent his roommates doing just that and the shocked faces of the other seventh year Slytherin boys peered in at him.

With a sense of shock, Tom realized he had been screaming in his sleep - something he had never, ever, done before. His embarrassment quickly turned to anger and he roughly pushed the blankets off him.

"What?" He snapped, glaring at his roommates.

When they made no reply and no sign of leaving, Tom's mood soured even more, "Move!" He snapped viciously, yanking the curtain out of Abraxas's hand before turning to Cepheus - the only one clever enough to have been able to undo the protective enchantments he had placed around his bed.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." Cepheus said, bowing his head respectfully and Tom raised an eyebrow, his fingers itching to curse the boy in front of him.

Restraining himself, Tom turned his back decisively on Cepheus and wordlessly made up his bed by means of wandless magic. Cepheus had given him the perfect excuse to play a little trick on his Ravenclaw girlfriend he loved so much. Tom smirked darkly as he thought of the various ways he could enact his revenge as he prepared for class.

Not wishing to provoke him further, the other boys quietly slipped away, grabbing their things and leaving the room until Tom was alone at last. Letting out a breath he didn't know he had been holding in, Tom sat down on the edge of his bed, his mind racing.

What was wrong with him? He needed to regain control of himself - people were already beginning to notice things. Lyra had been treating him differently ever since the encounter with the dementor... He had revealed too much that night. Now Lyra was trying to be _nice_ to him and it made Tom want to be sick. He could see the pity in her eyes every time she looked at him and it was 10 times worse than the looks of disgust and resentment she used to give him.

Thinking of Lyra, his mind involuntarily flashed back to the nightmare he had just had and he angrily repressed the feeling of despair that swelled up inside him at the memory. He would not - could not - afford to dwell on the attack. It was over, he had escaped...but then why was he still affected by it? A dull sort of ache had plagued him since the attack and try as he might, he could not shake it. It was at its worst when Lyra was around and was often compounded by the annoyance her newfound pity for him aroused in him. He wanted to disappear into a place where no one could ever find him, but that was just not feasible.

Subconsciously clenching his fists, Tom stood up, looking around himself. While he wanted nothing more than to skip breakfast, Tom knew that doing so would only increase his roommates' suspicions that something was wrong. And nothing _was_ wrong, Tom reminded himself. He just needed to focus. That was all.

The ring. It was the day before Halloween and he still needed to figure out just how exactly he and Lyra were going to slip away from the castle long enough to perform the ritual. There was an obvious way...but it would also draw unwanted attention. Why Lyra _had_ to be there, Tom did not understand. What did she have to do with the ring? Had she been the one to curse it? No, it was impossible - she had put herself in danger to remove the curse. Did it have something to do with her link with Grindelwald? Was she related to the person who cursed the stone? The only upside to her being there was that it was, in fact, her and not someone else. She was the only one who knew his secrets and so she was the only one who could be there when he spoke to his parents.

 _Obtain approval from them there._ What kind of approval, exactly, did he need? Tom highly doubted any amount of charm would succeed in making his father _approve_ of him - such a feat had been impossible even before he murdered him...now it was just downright laughable. If this was truly what was required then the ritual was sure to fail.

Frustrated at the lack of answers, Tom pushed open the door to the Great Hall and made his way to the Slytherin table, purposefully sitting down across from Lyra and Elaina. He had decided to take the easiest route to get Lyra out of the castle for the ritual - despite the terribly irritating rumours it would undoubtedly spark.

Lyra looked up quizzically, as if surprised at his decision to sit near her, and Elaina made no indication she was even aware of his presence. Tom examined Elaina silently for a moment - he had always been suspicious she knew more than she let on.

"Good morning." He said politely, putting on his most charming smile and Lyra's delicate features scrunched up in utter confusion.

"Good morning?" She asked, "Since when do you say that?"

Tom laughed, "What do you mean?"

Lyra's look of confusion only intensified and Elaina looked up, glancing between Lyra and Tom.

"Listen, I wanted to ask you something." Tom continued, vaguely amused by her reaction to his complete change in demeanor, "Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow?"

At this Lyra's eyes widened in a look of pure shock and bewilderment that made Tom laugh inwardly. However, in keeping with his act he almost bashfully lowered his gaze. "If you have other plans then..." He said, trailing off in the hopes of sounding disappointed.

Lyra frowned, a look of suspicion dawning on her face and Tom could practically see the wheels turning in her head. After a moment, Lyra narrowed her eyes, assessing him carefully. "I was going to go with Elaina." Lyra said after a moment and Tom inwardly let out a groan of frustration. Had she forgotten that tomorrow was Halloween? Had she forgotten about the ritual and the ring after just one day? Or was she just too slow to put two and two together?

Tom glanced at Elaina who was now looking at him carefully, a guarded expression on her face.

"However, I could meet you later." Lyra conceded, eyeing him intently, "Around dinner time?"

"It's okay you can go with him all day." Elaina said, looking from Lyra to Tom and back.

"'Laina-" Lyra protested but Elaina cut her off.

"No really." She said, forcing a smile that was far from genuine. "I have a lot of work to catch up on anyway and it's not like I've never been to Hogsmeade. It's quite frankly getting a bit old after all these years."

"I would really rather go with you though." Lyra said and Tom felt a prickle of annoyance. The girl was being given a green card to come help him with the bloody ritual and she was putting up a fight. Did she not _want_ to remove the curse on the ring?

"I would rather stay in." Elaina said, getting up to leave. "Truly." She said, and Tom watched as Lyra's face paled in worry.

"I'll see you at lunch?" Elaina asked, more gently this time and Lyra nodded before her friend turned to leave.

As soon as Elaina was out of earshot, Lyra spun back around to glare at Tom. "Why do we have to do it so early?" She whispered angrily, "Rose is going to Hogsmeade with a date, which means that Elaina is now going to be alone for the entire day. We could have just met after Hogsmeade and-"

"Why do you care?" Tom snapped, letting the polite act he had put on while Elaina had been present drop.

"She's my friend!" Lyra protested.

"Who cares if she's your friend? Don't you care about breaking the curse?" Tom snapped, "What if I am wrong about a part of the riddle? What if it takes _time_? What if something goes wrong? The riddle said we had to break the curse on Halloween. That gives us exactly 24h to figure out how. You want me to waste half the day just so your friend isn't lonely!?"

"Calm down!" Lyra whispered, "I thought you knew what the riddle meant for sure?"

"I do." Tom snarled, "I am just saying we need to be prepared for anything."

Lyra sighed, "Okay." She conceded, "Where are we even going? You still haven't told me."

"And I don't intend to." Tom retorted and Lyra squeezed her eyes shut for a moment in annoyance.

"I forgot to ask the centaurs about Elaina's family's blood curse." Lyra said, guilt written plainly across her face. Tom was reminded once again of how easy she was to read - she couldn't hide her emotions well and this was sure to pose some advantage to him one day.

"Do you think the riddle we have can fix her blood curse too?" Lyra asked.

"No." Tom said firmly, "And if you try to mess with the ritual in any way-"

"I'm not going to, I promise." Lyra interjected, sighed, "Never mind. I'll figure it out on my own."

Tom raised an eyebrow, apprehensive, "What does that mean? If you tell Elaina anything about the ring or the centaurs-"

"I won't. I'm going to owl the centaurs again." Lyra said, "I'll ask them what to do."

"Promise me you won't do this before the curse on the stone is removed." Tom said sharply and Lyra frowned in confusion.

"Why?" She asked and Tom sighed in exasperation.

"I don't want anything interfering with the ritual." He snapped, "Just...just wait. Swear you will wait." He demanded and Lyra sighed.

"Okay I will wait." She relented and Tom eyed her suspiciously, trying to judge whether she was lying or not.

"I said I will wait, Riddle!" Lyra exclaimed, exasperated and Tom only glared at her. He was far too close to freeing his Horcrux from the curse that plagued it to have someone as reckless as Lyra go and mess everything up.

The two of them slipped into silence and Tom's mind wandered, consumed with imagining all of the possible outcomes of the day to come and the possible challenges they might have to face. He didn't even notice that Lyra had finished breakfast and was staring down at her plate, deep in thought.


	32. I'm not Hitler

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed though, as always!**

 **Elle Light, I can't say yet why Elaina reacted the way she did. There's a hint in chapter 3 though!**

 **Also this is an updated version. You were absolutely right about the history so I changed it :) Thanks for the correction!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

"You're going to Hogsmeade with Tom bloody Marvolo Riddle!?" Rosalie screeched, closing the door behind her and turning to stare at Lyra as if she had five heads.

"Well I don't exactly want to but he asked and Elaina kept insisting she didn't want to go to Hogsmeade anyway and-" Lyra began but Rosalie cut her off.

"So you said yes!?" Rosalie asked incredulously.

"Well I didn't want to be rude." Lyra said, feeling incredibly awkward. She would have to thank Tom for putting her in this situation next time she saw him.

Rosalie scoffed, "You didn't want to be _rude_!? Since when are you and Riddle even polite to one another?"

"Let it go, Rose." Elaina said, looking up from where she was folding her robes on the other side of the room.

"So you're just okay with this?" Rosalie asked, turning to stare at Elaina. "Lyra's going on a date with a psychopath and you want me to let it go? I thought you hated him?"

"I do. Hate him." Elaina said sharply, "But Lyra knows what she's doing."

Lyra turned to stare at Elaina, confused. She was acting very strangely, indeed.

"Is this some sort of joke?" Rosalie asked, staring from Lyra to Elaina and back.

"It's not a date, I can promise you that much." Lyra said, "I have my suspicions as to why he asked me but I really can't tell you guys...yet anyway."

Elaina nodded but Rosalie only frowned even more, "What's going on?" She asked but Lyra only shook her head.

"I can't tell you. Just trust me." Lyra pleaded. "Please."

Rosalie sighed, throwing up her hands, "Whatever, fine. Don't tell me." She snapped, turning to leave and closing the door rather roughly behind her.

Lyra exchanged a look with Elaina and bit her lip. Thank you Tom, she thought waspishly. Thank you so much.

* * *

"Ready?" Lyra asked, coming up behind Tom where he was standing, waiting for her on the front steps of the school.

Without looking back at her or responding, Tom began his way down the steps, and Lyra rolled her eyes at his rudeness.

"So when are we going to the place...wherever it is." Lyra asked as she ran to catch up to him.

"We'll spend an hour or so in Hogsmeade. Ensure we're seen. Then we can go." Tom replied as Lyra fell into step beside him and they began their way down the path to Hogsmeade.

"Thanks to you, everyone at Hogwarts now thinks we're a couple." Lyra said, a definite note of bitterness in her voice and Tom shot her a dark look out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't see why you have any reason to complain." He replied arrogantly, "Most girls would kill to have everyone think they were in a relationship with me." prompting Lyra to roll her eyes.

"Your modesty never ceases to amaze me." Lyra sneered.

Tom snorted, making no reply.

"You could date almost any girl you wanted and you choose not to." Lyra stated after a moment, "Why?"

"Because it would be a horrible waste of time." Tom replied dryly.

Lyra laughed, "Right. I suppose it would distract you from becoming a Dark Lord, wouldn't it."

Tom shot her a look of warning and Lyra grinned, undaunted.

"Did you ever go trick-or-treating when you were a child?" Lyra asked.

"No." He replied dryly after a moment.

"Did you carve pumpkins?" Lyra asked and Tom gave her a withering look.

"I grew up in an orphanage, Reed. We didn't have enough food to eat. If we ever got a pumpkin we were certainly not going to waste it by carving it up and putting a candle in it." Tom snapped.

"True." Lyra said, knowing she should h

"You know you're not required to make small talk." Tom said dryly, shooting her a glance out of the corner of his eye.

"Okay then let's talk about something that's actually interesting." Lyra said, and Tom raised an eyebrow; apprehensive.

"I didn't know you were capable of that." Tom sneered and Lyra shot him a withering look.

"Where do you think we go when we die?" Lyra asked and Tom snorted.

"You answer first." He said and Lyra shrugged.

"I think we probably just cease to exist." She said and Tom was silent for a moment.

"I agree." He said at last.

"Are you afraid of dying?" Lyra asked.

"No." He lied, "Are you?"

"Yes." Lyra said, "I'm terrified. Why are you not afraid?"

"Why be afraid of the unknown?" He replied, and Lyra fell silent.

"What do you think the meaning of life is?" Lyra asked after a moment and Tom snorted derisively.

"Why so many existential questions?" He sneered and Lyra laughed.

"Well you can't say they're not interesting." Lyra reasoned, "Just answer the question." She prodded and Tom rolled his eyes and hesitated.

"There is no meaning to life." Tom replied at last.

Lyra nodded, "I agree." She said and Tom looked at her in surprise.

"What?" Lyra asked, "You're surprised?"

"I would have expected you to be the type to come up with some Dumbledore-esque inspirational quote about how love was the meaning of life or something ridiculous." Tom sneered and Lyra laughed.

"Dumbledore-esque?" Lyra asked, "Been having many existential debates with Dumbledore?"

Tom snorted, "Of course not. But you know how much he likes to cryptically relay his own deep insights to his students."

At this, Lyra burst out laughing and Tom raised an eyebrow, an amused smirk forming on his face. Lyra's laughter died slowly as she remembered the fate of Dumbledore in her own time. Tom had finally succeeded in killing him - it had taken him 60 years but he had done it.

Lyra shook her head to clear it as they entered Hogsmeade. The bustling little town was already full of Hogwarts students and Lyra felt a rush of happiness at the familiarity of it. Even in the 40s it was just as lively.

"Where do you want to go?" Lyra asked.

"I really couldn't care less." Tom replied and so Lyra led them over to Honeydukes, grinning at Tom as she pushed open the door.

"Do you want anything?" Lyra asked as they entered and Tom shook his head.

Lyra privately wondered whether it was because he had no money and decided to get him something anyway. Remembering he usually chose chocolate deserts over other flavours at dinner time, Lyra led the way to the chocolate section of the store. Picking up some chocolate wands, chocolate cauldrons, and choco-locos, Lyra made her way over to the cashier with her purchases.

"Here." Lyra said, showing Tom the chocolate after she had paid for it. "Which one would you like?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, "I told you I didn't want anything."

"I heard you." Lyra said with a slight smirk, "Now which one do you want? Because I can't eat all of these."

Tom examined her face carefully for a minute and Lyra could practically see the wheels turning in it. If she had to hazard a guess, he was likely wondering what the motivations of her actions were - Was it charity? Was it a trick? A test?

At last, Tom settled on a chocolate cauldron, slipping it into the pocket of his robes.

"Now where should we go?" Lyra asked as they left the shop and Tom hesitated.

"Do you like butterbeer?" He asked at last and Lyra nodded.

"Of course." She said, biting into her chocolate frog as they walked towards The Three Broomsticks.

Sliding into a corner booth by the window, Lyra and Tom ordered a butterbeer each and fell into silence. Lyra nibbled on her chocolate frog, watching as Tom stared out the window, watching the other students walk by, talking and laughing with their friends. Unsure what to say, Lyra tried to distract herself with her chocolate until the butterbeer came and she nodded a thanks to the waitress.

"So..." Lyra said at last, "We have an entire hour..."

Tom turned to look at her, examining her carefully. "What are you going to do when I get all the Deathly Hallows and Grindelwald is defeated?" He asked suddenly and Lyra looked at him in surprise.

"Um...I-I don't know." She stuttered, never having thought, really, about what she would do if Tom managed to get his hands on all the Deathly Hallows and Grindelwald was out of the picture. In such a scenario, she would have no more pretense to hang around with him and try to subtlety convince him not to become Voldemort. Truth be told, she had not planned for the future at all.

"You don't know?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow, "You mean you haven't thought about the future at all?"

Lyra hesitated. Of course she'd thought about the future. Her future - where she belonged. Everything she did was so that she could go back to a future in which Tom never became Voldemort and her parents never died. She thought about the future every day.

"No, I guess not." Lyra lied, "I'll worry about the future once Grindelwald is out of the picture."

"I see." Tom said, thinking over her words.

"I guess I'll get a job." Lyra continued, "I've always wanted to work in Muggle relations. Either that or in the Wizengamot. I've also thought about becoming a Healer...or a Professor."

"So basically you don't know." Tom surmised and Lyra laughed, shrugging.

"I know I should know - since we're graduating this year and everything." She admitted, "It's just with everything going on, my future career hasn't really been a priority for me."

Tom nodded, "Well you should think about it." He said and Lyra gave him a strange look. Was Tom Riddle giving her _life advice_?

"Why's that?" She asked and Tom shot her a you're-an-idiot-do-I-need-to-spell-everything-out-for-you kind of look.

"Because, as you said, you're graduating this year and you need to start applying to jobs or professional training programs." He said, "You're actually intelligent so you stand a good chance at getting a high-ranking position in the Ministry but if you don't start thinking about it now you might miss your chance."

Lyra stared at him, utterly shocked. Lord Voldemort really _was_ giving her career advice. And had he just called her _intelligent_?

"Are you going to apply to any jobs or professional training programs?" Lyra asked, even though she knew the answer.

Tom shook his head, "No, I don't think I will."

"But why not?" Lyra asked, "You really could become Minister for Magic if you tried."

Tom snorted, "I don't want to be Minister for Magic."

"What are you going to do then after we graduate?" Lyra asked, "Disappear? Go study the Dark Arts?"

Tom shrugged, "I don't have to disappear to study the Dark Arts."

"But you're not going to become Lord Voldemort right away...right?" Lyra asked and Tom's face darkened.

"Reed, I _am_ Lord Voldemort." He said and Lyra felt a chill run down her spine.

"But you don't look like him." Lyra blurted out before she knew what she was saying. Tom's eyes widened and he stared at her quizzically and Lyra felt her heart beat race.

"I mean you don't look like a Dark Lord." Lyra corrected herself quickly, "You look so normal. So- so- You don't look like a man who goes by Voldemort, you look like a boy who goes by Tom."

"Yes, well, looks can be deceiving." Tom snapped, looking back out the window and Lyra breathed a sigh of relief. She would have to be more careful with what she said around him.

"But why don't you take a Ministry job to start with." Lyra continued, "You can still study the Dark Arts on the side if you want but you may as well try it out."

Tom sighed, turning back to look at her, "I don't want to work for the Ministry, I want to control it. Change it. I don't have _time_ to waste on a petty Ministry job when I could be using that time to push the boundaries of magic, to recruit followers, to build a name for myself. Reed, my plans are larger than you could ever imagine. I don't want to simply be Minister for Magic, I want to change the wizarding world as we know it."

"Yeah and rid it of all its impurities." Lyra sneered, taking a sip of her butterbeer as she glared at him darkly.

"It just doesn't make sense why wizards and witches have to live in secret when we could easily overpower the Muggles. Grindelwald has the right idea, he is just simply not the right man to do the job." Tom began and Lyra got the impression he had been thinking long and hard about this. "Grindelwald is a pureblood. He doesn't know Muggles the way I do. He doesn't know what they are capable of when they are faced with things they don't understand. Muggles fear what they don't understand and then that fear turns to hatred, which then turns to cruelty. Read the headlines of any Muggle newspaper today and you will find they are telling the same story over and over again. Hitler is killing the Jews because they are different from him. We have a statute of secrecy in the wizarding world because history has shown that when Muggles are aware of us they react in the exact same way - they try to eliminate us because we are different. Because they are afraid of us because they don't understand us."

"Don't you think the way you blame Muggles is similar to the way Hitler blames Jews?" Lyra asked.

Tom was silent for a moment, "Reed, I'm not Hitler." He said at last, "I know Muggles. I understand them and I certainly do not fear them. I simply want them put in their place - I want the wizarding world to stop bending over backwards to live in a world defined by their rules. I want _us_ to set the rules of the game."

"You hate them because your father was one." Lyra protested, knowing she was entering dangerous territory and pushing ahead anyway, "Last time I pointed out this fact you threw a cauldron of scalding potion at me so I know I must not have been entirely wrong."

Tom glared at her, letting out a sigh of exasperation, "So what?" He snapped, "That does nothing to change the facts."

"Okay but answer me this honestly," Lyra said, "Would you still want to become a Dark Lord and create a world where purebloods and half-bloods rule if your father had not been a Muggle and abandoned you and if the orphanage you had grown up in hadn't been filled with Muggles who treated you like dirt?"

"Yes." Tom replied immediately and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"You can't know that." She reasoned but Tom shook his head, becoming annoyed.

"Well you can't prove I wouldn't." He snapped, almost childishly and Lyra let out a sigh of exasperation, letting her head fall on her arms on the table.

When she looked up again, Tom was looking down at her, clearly judging her for her melodramatics.

"I think it's time to go." Tom said, standing up and dropping a few coins on the table for the butterbeer.

Lyra sighed and looked at her watch, "Yes, I guess it is."

* * *

Landing in the backyard behind his father's house, Tom looked around himself quickly, ensuring they had not been seen. He doubted Grindelwald's men were still in the town but one could never be too careful. He glanced over at Lyra and saw her face light up with recognition as she took in her surroundings.

"Come." Tom said firmly, his mood souring as they approached the house. It had been here he had gotten revenge. It had been here he'd taken his first steps towards immortality. And yet the place still repulsed him - the empty house no more pleasant to him than a rotting corpse.

"Alohomora." Tom whispered, opening the back door of the house and stepping inside. His footsteps echoed hollowly in the empty mansion and Tom wrinkled his nose at the smell of decay and mold. No one had touched the house, it seemed, since he had last been there save perhaps the detectives who had dealt with the dead Muggles. Tom felt a wave of resentment wash over him as he stepped into the living room. The smiling faces of his father and grandparents still shone out of the photographs on the wall and the room was neat and tidy - as if the occupants of the house had simply stepped out for a walk. Tom glared at the picture of his father, wishing he could kill him all over again.

Lyra followed behind him, unusually silent. She stopped in front of a photo of his father and grandparents at a golf resort and picked it up, peering down at the faces.

"Why here?" Lyra asked after a moment, replacing the photo on the coffee table.

Tom ignored her question. He couldn't tell her the honest answer anyway - that it had been in this very room that he had created his first Horcrux. While he had killed Myrtle before killing the Riddles, he had wanted his first Horcrux to be with the murder of his father and so he had waited. He had wanted to claim eternal life by taking the life of the man who had left him to die. It was a kind of poetic justice.

"Riddle?" Lyra asked, jolting Tom from his thoughts.

"What?" He snapped.

"Did your eyes first turn red here because it's where you killed your father?" Lyra asked and Tom glared at her persistent nosiness.

"But if murder is what made your eyes turn red then why wouldn't it have happened when you killed Myrtle? You did that first, did you not?" Lyra continued and Tom felt his annoyance increase.

"Because I did not kill her out of anger." Tom snapped. It was true, technically. Myrtle's death had been half accidental. True he had intended to use the basilisk to rid the school of _her kind_ but he had only killed her in the moment because she had heard him open the Chamber of Secrets. However, what Tom could not tell Lyra was that he strongly believed - no, he knew - his eyes had only started turning red after he had made his first Horcrux. There was simply no other explanation.

Lyra seemed to accept his explanation and nodded slowly, her face deep in thought. Tom turned his back on her and slipped the box containing the stone out of his pocket, unlocking it by means of wandless magic. Levitating the stone in front of his face, Tom felt his fingers begin to shake despite his best efforts and the box slipped out of his hands, tumbling to the ground. Lyra came over to stare at him, her delicate face fully of worry and white as snow.

"Turn around." He snapped, "You're not supposed to see."

Lyra hesitated, the look on her face making Tom want to be sick. He turned away from her once more, staring out the window of his father's living room.

"Riddle..." He heard Lyra say after a moment, "You don't have to do this..."

Tom whipped back around to face her, his eyes shooting daggers. "Yes. I do." He snapped viciously and Lyra put up her hands in surrender.

"Okay." She said, relenting.

Tom ground his teeth together; there was no way out of it. He would just have to stop being such a bloody coward and face it. What was there, even, to fear? He wasn't afraid, he was simply not looking forward to it. That was all.

"You will speak of this to no one. Understood?" Tom said sharply, giving Lyra a piercing look. "I will know if you do."

"Of course." Lyra replied solemnly and Tom looked back at the stone in front of him and wandlessly turned it over in the air three times.


	33. Approval

**Here is the conversation you have been waiting for! It was fun trying to imagine how this would go...**

 **Thanks for the reviews everyone** **\- Sabcal, that makes me so happy!** **-** **Elle Light, you were right about the history thing so I changed it :)** **\- Skepticalfox glad you had fun at Universal! I've never been but I heard it's amazing.**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Before Tom's very eyes a shadowy figure appeared, growing more and more distinct. Tom's eyes hardened as he looked at him. It was like looking at an older version of himself and he felt repulsed by the image.

"Father." Tom ground out, his eyes shooting daggers.

"How dare you come to this place. To my house. How dare you use your freakish powers to bring me back to what? To taunt me?" Tom Riddle Senior snarled, glaring at his son with a hatred that rivalled Tom's.

"I need your approval to remove a curse." Tom snapped, anxious to get this meeting over with, "Not that you would understand what that means."

"My approval?" His father asked in disbelief, "You have my approval to go to hell where you belong."

"I will not let you leave this room until you give me your approval." Tom snarled, "I will keep you here - trapped - for years if that's what it takes."

"You're not worthy to bear my name, to wear my face." His father snarled, "You are no son of mine."

Tom laughed coldly, "You made sure of that, didn't you?" He replied darkly, "Well let me just say, you did me a favour. Now I would kill you again if I could, but seeing as, unfortunately, I cannot, I will content myself with hunting down your other relatives. That is...unless you give me approval to the remove the curse on this stone." Tom said, glancing from the hovering stone to his father and back.

"You are a curse on my family." His father snarled, "But you have my approval to remove whatever curse you claim is on that stone as long as you refrain from harming anyone else in my family."

Tom snorted, "And if I do?" He taunted, not actually intending to go through with his threats. He mainly just wanted to provoke his father.

However, to his great disappointment, his father made no reply and Tom watched, bristling with anger as he faded from view. He turned to the stone, trying to think of a way to call him back so he could continue to berate and taunt him when another shadowy figure began to form in the place where his father had disappeared. She was much shorter than his father had been and so transparent she looked like a ghost. Her features were worn and ragged, her dark hair matted and her clothes torn and tattered. Tom felt a wave of repulsion wash over him as he stared at her. Merope Gaunt was the embodiment of weakness, destitution, and poverty - everything Tom abhorred.

"Tom." Merope said, her ugly face breaking into a sad smile, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "You look so much like your father."

Tom felt his disgust turn to rage. This was the first thing she said to the son she had left behind when she had decided to take the easy road out and let herself die? Was his father all she had ever cared about?

"Is that all you have to say?" Tom snarled and his mother stared at him, looking so heartbroken that Tom only felt more angry.

"You know I killed him," Tom said, his dark eyes glinting dangerously, "In this very room. In his own house." He continued, relishing in the look of pain on his mother's face.

"He was sitting right there." Tom said, pointing at the dining room table. "Eating a bowl of soup."

"I killed his parents too." Tom continued, a dark smirk creeping onto his face, "I didn't intend to, initially, but they were witnesses, you see. I had no choice."

"My son," Merope breathed, looking both horrified and broken, "What happened to you?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, a look of incredulity spreading over his face, "What happened to me?" He asked in disbelief, "What happened to _you_?" He snarled, glaring at her. "You could have saved yourself - you were a witch! You were a descent of Salazar Slytherin - an ancient and noble bloodline - and yet you contented yourself with living in poverty in that wretched little shack and polluting your bloodline with the likes of _him_!" Tom snarled, a portrait of his father crashing to the ground as he turned to glare at it.

"He didn't love you." Tom continued, despite the tears welling up in his mother's eyes, "I mean, how could he? An ugly freak like yourself living in a dirty shack - why would he, a handsome and rich man Muggle - choose a wretch like you? But never mind, that is besides the point. You loved him. To the point of obsession - oh yes Morfin told me everything. He told me how you put my father under a love potion and ran away with him. You forced him to marry you, to have a _child_ with you." Tom snarled, staring at his mother in disgust.

"But then you grew lonely. You must have - or else you never would have stopped giving him the love potion. He left you, pregnant and destitute and you _still_ loved him! Even after he'd abandoned you! The matron at the orphanage, she told me you died of a broken heart. She said you lacked the will to live." Tom said, something akin to pain stirring deep inside him, "Was _I_ not reason enough to live?" He asked before he could censor his words.

Tom felt a wave of shock run through himself at the words that had just come out of his mouth. His mother was truly crying now, her face looking even older and more ugly than it had initially.

"I am so sorry," Merope breathed, "For leaving you in that place."

Tom stared at her in utter disgust, feelings he had long since repressed rising to the surface in waves that terrified him.

"I loved you," Merope said quietly, "I still do love you."

Tom snorted derisively, "Love does not exist, you old fool. With my father, what you mistook for love was lust. With me - well you never loved me. You never even cared about me." He snarled, "If you had, you would never have left me."

Tom felt his hands begin to shake involuntarily as his mother continued to cry. Tom waited for her to deny it, for her to protest that in fact, she really had loved him, but she remained silent and in that moment he knew he had been right. Love did not exist and his mother had left him in that horrible orphanage because she had simply not cared enough to bother raising him. Suddenly, Tom wished he could have killed her too, the way he had his father.

"I need your approval." Tom ground out after a moment. He just wanted the conversation to be over. "I do not know what that means but I need it. To remove the curse on our family ring."

Merope nodded, wiping her eyes, "I know what that means and you have mine."

"Good." Tom snapped.

"Tom, don't let your hatred for your father and I destroy you." Merope said suddenly and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Try to forgive." Merope continued, "Not for our sake, but for yours."

Tom let out a dark laugh, unable to believe his ears, "Forgive you? You want me to _forgive_ you? And _him_? The filthy Muggle who rejected us for being different? Pray tell me, why I should do that."

"To save your soul." Merope said and Tom snorted.

"Goodbye _mother_." He sneered.

"Please Tom..." She pleaded, but Tom only glared at her, watching as she faded from view.

Tom stood still, rooted to the spot, staring at the place where his mother had been. The feelings of despair the dementor attack had aroused in him rose to the surface, compounded by waves of long-forgotten pain. Feelings he had thought he had outgrown - overcome.

It had been years since he'd thought about his mother - really thought about her. But now he realized he'd never actually forgotten her. He had simply repressed the thoughts because they were too disturbing to contemplate.

She had asked him to _forgive_ them. Of all the insulting things he could have imagined her saying, this had to be the worst. How dare she ask that of him when she and his father had done _nothing_ to deserve it. Did he not have the _right_ to hate them?

The sound of something falling behind him jolted him out of his thoughts and he turned to look behind him. Lyra was standing next to a small figurine she had knocked over and was staring at him, her face pale. In his preoccupation with his parents, Tom had completely forgotten she was there, watching. Hearing everything. As this realization dawned on him, he felt a wave of anger wash over him and he longed to stamp out the look of mingled shock and pity on her face.

"You will tell no one what you heard." Tom snapped, and Lyra nodded mutely.

"And we will never speak of this again." Tom snapped, turning to the stone hovering in the air. For all the pain it had given him, this ritual better work, Tom thought bitterly.

Pulling out the piece of parchment the riddle was written on, Tom cleared his voice and spoke the words clearly, " _Per potentiam meum sanguinem, in quas maledicta congessi in hunc amovere lapis_."

Tom watched, holding his breath as the ring glowed bright red before clattering to the ground, returning to its original colour.

"Did it work?" Lyra breathed, coming over to peer down at the ring.

"Why don't you pick it up and find out?" Tom suggested and Lyra glared at him.

Tom bent down, pointing his wand at it and testing it to see if any dangerous magic was left in it. Sensing nothing out of the ordinary - besides its rather special property of being able to raise the dead and his own _soul_ \- Tom gingerly reached out to touch it.

"Are you sure?" Lyra asked, putting a hand on his arm before he touched it.

Tom removed her hand and nodded, "I'm sure."

"Actually I'll do it." Lyra said and Tom stared at her, confused. Was she trying to steal the ring? Was this some sort of trick?

As if reading his mind, Lyra rolled her eyes, "Riddle, I'm not going to steal it. I would die, remember? I swore a vow."

Tom frowned out of genuine curiosity, "Then why are you risking your life?"

Lyra shrugged, looking uncomfortable, "Well someone has to." She muttered and Tom stared at her in confusion.

"Okay." Tom said, nodding towards the ring, "Go ahead."

Her hands shaking, Lyra reached out and gingerly touched the ring. Tom heard her breathe an audible sigh of relief when nothing happened and she smiled, handing it to him. Satisfied, Tom stood up and slid the ring - his Horcrux - onto his finger. With the curse gone, he could feel his own soul inside it, pulsating to the rhythm of his own heartbeat. It was an uncanny feeling, and not one he particularly enjoyed, but for now, his finger was the safest place for the ring.

Unless...

Tom looked over at Lyra who was bending to pick up the figurine she had knocked over. She had saved his life and she had just willingly put herself in danger to keep him safe. Tom felt something uncomfortable stir in the pit of his stomach and shook his head. She was a Slytherin, she was sure to have other motives.

And yet...how good of a liar could she be? He had known her for two months and in all that time she had proven herself useful, trustworthy, and strangest of all - genuine.

Still, a voice inside the back of his head kept shouting that she was untrustworthy. That she was lying - hiding something.

Tom hesitated, feeling the pulsation of his own soul in the ring. This feeling was going to drive him crazy if he didn't find another place to hide his Horcrux. This would also be a good way to test her true loyalty. If she passed the test, who knew, perhaps she would be useful in his future plans.

"Reed." Tom said and Lyra looked up questioningly.

"That ring you always wear." He said, gesturing to the green gem on her finger. Lyra looked down in surprise at her hand as if just remembering it was there. "Do you ever take it off?"

"No." Lyra said, "I'm afraid of losing it so I permanently attached it to my finger." She admitted, blushing slightly, "My grandmother gave it to me. It's a family heirloom."

"Can you do the same with my ring?" Tom asked and Lyra's eyes flew open in surprise.

"You want me to wear your ring?" She asked incredulously.

"It's magical, you see." Tom said, coming over to Lyra and sliding the ring off his finger. "It annoys me. You'll be able to feel the magic pulsating when you put it on."

Tom grabbed her hand rather roughly and he felt Lyra flinch in surprise. While physical contact usually made him feel disgusted, he couldn't help noticing how soft her hand was. The skin was like silk - pale and smooth and delicate. He slid the ring onto her finger, chanting binding incantations under his breath.

"There." He said, letting go of her hand and looking at the ring. "It won't come off unless I undo the charm."

Lyra stared at the ring in fascination, running her fingers over the black resurrection stone.

"How long am I supposed to keep this?" Lyra asked and Tom shrugged.

"Until I say so." He replied simply, turning his back on her and walking over to the broken portrait of his father.

" _Reparo_." He said quietly, fixing the picture and hanging it back up on the wall.

* * *

By the time they got back to Hogsmeade, most of the students had returned to the castle. Lyra and Tom walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Lyra ran her fingers over the two rings now attached to her right hand. She could feel the magic pulsating through it just as Tom had told her she would be able to. It was strangely calming and she had the most uncanny impression that the magic was somehow alive. Somehow an entity in itself.

"Does it bother you?" Tom asked suddenly, nodding at the ring and Lyra shook her head.

"No. I like it." Lyra replied and Tom almost looked confused.

"Really?" He asked, "Because you can tell me if you dislike it. I don't care. It's staying there whether you like it or not."

Lyra laughed, "No I really do like it. It's kind of soothing."

Tom quirked an eyebrow, looking bewildered, "It's _soothing_?" He asked, incredulously.

Lyra nodded, wondering why he was so surprised, "I have no idea why you thought it was annoying."

Tom stared at her as if she had three heads and Lyra laughed, "Why are you so surprised?"

Tom made no reply, falling into silence once more.

"So what now?" Lyra asked after a moment, "We find the cloak?"

"Hm?" Tom asked, distractedly, before looking up, "Oh, what? What did you say?"

Lyra tilted her head and looked at him sideways. He had clearly been thinking hard about something. It was not like him to be so distracted. "I asked if now we're going to find the cloak?"

Tom nodded as they entered the school and made their way down to the Slytherin common room, "Yes. Now we find the cloak."

"And we have no leads whatsoever." Lyra said, feeling overwhelmed at the impossibility of the task in front of them.

Tom made no reply as Lyra pushed open the door to the Slytherin common room. Her eyes landed on Elaina, who looked up as she walked in and stood up as if she had been waiting for her.

"Lyra." Elaina said, making her way over to them so fast that Lyra felt alarmed, "Can you help me get Button out of my clothes drawer." Elaina said, looking more frazzled than Lyra had ever seen her before.

"Out of your _clothes_ drawer?" Lyra asked incredulously, glancing at Tom as he silently slipped away, disappearing down the staircase to the boy's dormitory.

"Yes, just come." Elaina said, leading the way towards the stairwell.

Perplexed, Lyra followed her grandmother down the stairs and into their room only to find Button asleep on her bed as usual.

"'Laina, he's asleep-" Lyra began when she realized Elaina was staring at her in a way that made her feel very apprehensive.

"What is it?" Lyra asked, not certain she wanted to know the answer.

"I need to talk to you about something." Elaina said, wringing her hands. "And I might be wrong but...I need to know. I need to know the truth."

"Okay..." Lyra said tentatively, her stomach doing somersaults.

"Come over here." Elaina said, motioning for Lyra to follow her to the mirror. Lyra stopped beside her, staring at the reflection of the two of them.

"Look at the shape of our faces," Elaina said quietly. "We look alike don't you think?"

Lyra felt the floor disappear out from under her and her hands started to shake, "What?" She breathed.

"It's just your hair. I assume you must have gotten it from your father - that kind of blonde." Elaina continued and Lyra stared at her in shock. "That would explain why she has my complexion and you don't."

"Who?" Lyra asked shakily.

"Astoria. Astoria Greengrass. She's your cousin...right?"

* * *

 **Also Cassie-011, to answer your question from last chapter...soon ;)**


	34. The Dream

**Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

"Elaina what-" Lyra began, " _How?_ "

Her first instinct had been to deny it all but she had soon realized that was pointless. If Elaina knew Astoria's name and appearance there was no point in denying anything. It was just a matter of finding out how _much_ she knew.

"Lyra, there's something I never told you." Elaina said with a sigh, "I dream things. Things that have happened, are happening, or are yet to happen. Sometimes it's not clear when the things are happening but they are always _true_."

Lyra felt her heart stop. She should have foreseen this; after all, Astoria also possessed this gift and they were related.

"What did you see?" Lyra breathed.

"It happened a few nights ago. In the dream I was in the Greengrass mansion - I know because I've been there - only it was different than I remember. Different furniture, different layout, different decorations, but definitely the same house." Elaina said slowly, taking a seat on the bed in front of Lyra, "A little dark-haired girl, probably around 9 or 10 was sitting by the fireplace, curled up in a chair, reading a book. Her mother came over to her, called her Astoria, and snatched the book out of her hands, announcing that company was arriving soon and that she shouldn't be rude or something like that. Before Astoria could get up, two adults and a little blonde girl appeared in the fireplace and the little blonde girl ran straight for Astoria and gave her a hug."

Lyra felt a wave of homesickness and nostalgia wash over her as she remembered her cousin. She had been so _happy_ back then it made her want to cry.

"The little blonde girl...that was you...right?" Elaina asked and Lyra nodded mutely.

"What happened next?" Lyra asked, not certain which night exactly Elaina was describing. She had flooed to Astoria's house for a party many times after all.

"Well after all the greetings were exchanged and I heard one of the adults mention something or other about your mother being the sister of Astoria's mother...Astoria dragged you upstairs and you told her all about a stone you'd found in your grandmother's basement that allowed you to go back to 1936 and meet a boy named Tom Riddle." Elaina said, staring at Lyra inquisitively as Lyra struggled to breathe.

"The dream ended with a little Malfoy boy coming to annoy you. You threw a pillow at him I think." Elaina added and Lyra nodded.

"It should have been more than a pillow." She muttered and Elaina quirked an eyebrow in amusement.

"So I'm your grandmother then." Elaina said, staring at Lyra as if seeing her for the first time and Lyra laughed nervously.

"Yeah, you are." She said, letting out a long and tired sigh. "You marry-"

"Hendrick Travers, I know." Elaina said, a slight smile forming on her lips at the mention of his name.

Lyra smiled, "Yeah." She said, "He's my grandfather. You have two kids with him - my mom, Miriam Travers, and Astoria's mom, Natalya Travers. Miriam marries a Muggle-born by the name of Robert Reed and Natalya marries Soren Greengrass. Both Astoria and I are only children."

Elaina's face lit up and she smiled in a way that could almost be called nostalgic, except that it was for the future. "What are they like?" Elaina asked, "My daughters?"

Lyra laughed, "Well they are both sorted into Slytherin - predictably for purebloods. Aunt Natalya's traditional, in the let's not rock the boat and get expelled from pureblood society kind of way. But she's also really sweet. After my mom married a Muggle-born everyone cast her out except you, grandpa, and her sister. She made sure Astoria and I got to grow up together and that I was invited to all the pureblood parties...not that they were very fun...but still. You know how purebloods are. Anyway, my mom was..." Lyra hesitated, feeling her eyes start to water. It had been a long time since she'd really thought about her mother and about her childhood all at once.

"My mom was a rebel. She was always playing tricks on people and pushing the boundaries. She told me that for a while you thought she'd get sorted into Gryffindor, but I suppose she was too sly for that. She was an excellent manipulator and she could talk anyone into just about anything. She ended up marrying my dad - a Muggle-born Ravenclaw she'd met at school. He loved books and old-fashioned Muggle movies and my mom used to complain that one day he would lose track of what was real and what was part of the stories he read-" Lyra broke off, realizing she was rambling on about things that Elaina probably didn't care to hear about and blushed.

Elaina was silent for a moment, her smile fading as she stared at the ring on Lyra's finger. The stone of fate's design. "So Tom Riddle..." Elaina trailed off, looking at Lyra quizzically.

Lyra sighed, crossing her legs on the bed, "'Laina I- I need to know how much you know...about Riddle." She said cautiously, "Before I can tell you anything at all."

Elaina hesitated, twisting the hem of her sleeves in her fingers before nodding at last. "Okay." She said, "But you must promise to not tell anyone. Especially not Riddle. He'd kill me."

"He can't." Lyra blurted out, "I- I made him swear an unbreakable vow." She said and Elaina's eyes widened in shock.

"You what!?" She asked but Lyra shook her head, "Look I'll tell you everything after you tell me what you already know."

Elaina nodded, "Well I know nothing for sure, only that he has a gang of followers called the Knights of Walpurgis who call him Lord Voldemort. They started out playing petty pranks on the other students and bullying them into doing things for them or giving them things but now...now I'm scared they might have bigger aspirations."

"Do you know what those aspirations are?" Lyra asked tentatively.

Elaina shook her head, "Cepheus used to tell me everything. Now...he told me they have plans to change the world as we know it. All I can gather is that they are operating on principles similar to Grindelwald's and I know they are willing to go to great lengths to get what they want. They're dangerous, brutal, and prejudiced, but that is all I know."

Lyra nodded, so Elaina didn't know about the Chamber of Secrets of the murder of the Riddles. This complicated things slightly but was probably better overall. "Okay." She said, "Well I can tell you why I'm here if you promise to never tell anyone else. I'm going to need you to swear an unbreakable vow though. I will also need you to swear you won't kill Tom or hurt him or anyone else."

Elaina's eyes flew open and she stared at Lyra as if she was insane, "You want me to make an unbreakable vow?"

"I'm sorry, it's just I have to be sure you won't do something crazy." Lyra pleaded and Elaina stared at her, her suspicion apparent.

"I can't make any promises." Elaina said after a moment.

"Then I can't tell you why I'm here." Lyra said and Elaina frowned, tracing a pattern on the blanket. Lyra could practically see the curiosity burning her alive as she weighed her options.

"Okay fine." Elaina sighed after a moment, "I'll make the vow."

"Are you sure?" Lyra asked and Elaina nodded, holding out her hand.

Lyra took it and began the spell, watching as the threads of magical light wove themselves around her arm once again.

"Do you, Elaina Selwyn, swear to never tell anyone that Lyra Reed is your granddaughter from the future and to never disclose the information Lyra Reed is about to give you on Tom Marvolo Riddle without her express permission?" Lyra asked.

"I do." Elaina said solemnly.

"And do you, Elaina Selwyn, swear to never intentionally harm or murder anyone because of the information Lyra Reed is going to give you?"

Elaina looked at Lyra apprehensively but nodded anyway, "I do." She said and Lyra watched as the threads of light tightened around their arms until they disappeared completely into their skin.

Lyra let go of her grandmother's hand, "Okay." She said, feeling strangely nervous about telling her tale even though she had already technically told it to Elaina once before.

"The year I was born - 1981 - was the year Lord Voldemort, the darkest wizard this world has ever seen, was defeated by a baby by the name of Harry Potter." Lyra said slowly, watching as the colour drained from Elaina's face. "He'd tried to kill Harry because of some prophecy that said that a boy born in July would be able to destroy him but when Harry's mother sacrificed herself to save Harry's life, the curse backfired and killed Voldemort instead."

Lyra paused before continuing, "I grew up hearing about the horrors Voldemort and his Death Eaters - that's what his Knights of Walpurgis turned into - committed. I heard about the Muggles and Muggle-borns they killed, how they had control of the government and nobody knew who to trust and mass killings were a regular occurrence. But when I picked up your stone in your basement a few days before Christmas and a 9 year old Tom Riddle appeared out of thin air, I didn't know it was him. We took turns holding the stone and I saw his room in the orphanage he lived in - only I didn't know it was an orphanage at the time. We realized the stone gave us the power to travel through time and we were both intrigued so I decided to go ask you what the stone was for. Tom didn't like this idea - he thought you'd take the stone away from us - but ultimately I just let the stone drop and he disappeared."

Elaina looked as if she was not quite breathing as Lyra continued with her story, "He was absolutely right though because when I went to ask you what the stone was for and told you and my parents that I'd met a boy named Tom Riddle you all freaked out. My mom took away the stone and wouldn't tell me why. She just said it was dangerous and told me to go to my room, which made absolutely no sense to me at the time. It wasn't until later...much later...that I found out who Tom Riddle became."

"When I was 13 Voldemort came back. He'd never really been dead after all. This time he succeeded in killing Dumbledore - or really in getting one of his Death Eaters to do it. He took control of the government again and war broke out. When I was 16 my parents were killed in a Death Eater attack." Lyra said, trying to keep her voice even as Elaina's eyes widened and a look of horror spread across her face. "When I found out I killed one of the Death Eaters who was in charge of running Hogwarts - Voldemort had control of the school at this point - and I apparated to my house where I found the stone of fate's design on my bed alongside a note from you telling me that if the stone had appeared then I must have lost someone I loved to Voldemort and saying something about how darkness was simply the absence of light."

"I said that?" Elaina asked, looking genuinely surprised and Lyra nodded.

"You told me to use the stone if I wanted and so I did. I shrunk the stone, reversed the magical connection on it and permanently stuck it onto a ring on my finger so that it would always touch my skin. I also increased the distance between Tom and I so that when I landed in the past I landed outside his orphanage and not in his room. It worked and I set about finding a way to Hogwarts. I wanted to kill him - Riddle. I wanted to kill him before he grew up to be Voldemort and so I started stalking him, watching his every move. I knew he must have taken some steps towards immortality because he survived the rebounded killing curse when he tried to kill Harry so I knew I had to figure out what steps he'd taken before I could try to kill him. Anyway, he caught onto me very quickly because Conan, who was also spying on Tom, but for Grindelwald - I'll explain later - told him I was spying on him. He tried to lure me into the Chamber of Secrets to kill me but Conan told me it was a trap and we were able to configure a spell that would make a note telling Dumbledore about all of Tom's misdeeds appear on his desk if I were to die or be obliviated. Using this as leverage, I got him to swear an unbreakable vow not to harm 10 people - one of which was you - and in exchange, I had to swear not to interfere with his search for the Deathly Hallows. Do you know what they are?"

Elaina nodded and Lyra looked at her in surprise, "Really? Okay well I told him this lie about how my parents had been searching for them to stop Grindelwald from getting his hands on them and that he had one in his possession and that that was why I was stalking him."

Lyra held up her hand and pointed at the other ring on her finger. "The resurrection stone has been in Tom's family for generations. He found it at his uncle Morfin's house after Morfin killed his father. Someone cursed it though so we spent the better part of this semester trying to undo that curse and actually we only succeeded today." Lyra said.

Elaina frowned in confusion, "Riddle killed your mother - my _daughter_. You came here to kill him why are you helping him undo curses on his family heirlooms?" She asked sharply. "And come to think of it, why are you _wearing_ his family heirloom?"

Lyra shook her head, "No you misunderstand, I was trying to help him so that I could find out his secrets and kill him. For that I needed to gain his trust."

"Well he obviously trusts you now if he gave you that ring." Elaina said and Lyra bit her lip.

"I can't. I can't kill him." She said, feeling her cheeks burn under the intensity of the look Elaina was giving her.

"And why is that?" She asked pointedly.

"Because it's wrong!" Lyra exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air. "If I kill him, I am no better than him. I need to stop the cycle of violence, not continue it! Besides, Tom Riddle didn't kill my parents, Lord Voldemort did, and believe me, they are _not_ the same person."

"Not the same person?" Elaina asked exasperatedly, "How exactly, are they not the same person?"

"Listen I don't know what he did to himself but Voldemort had red eyes, white skin, no nose, no hair, and he looked like a human snake!" Lyra exclaimed, "Whatever type of dark magic did that, it destroyed whatever humanity Riddle had and it made him into a monster."

"What humanity? He is _already_ a monster, Lyra." Elaina ground out.

"No he's not. _I_ would know." Lyra replied fiercely and the two girls glared at one another for a moment before Lyra sighed, lowering her gaze.

"You really are going to fall in love with him." Elaina said, a slight tone of disgust in her voice as she stared at the rings on Lyra's hand.

"I am not." Lyra protested, sounding to herself almost like a petulant child, "But that does not change the fact that I am not going to kill him for crimes he has not yet committed."

"Then what? You're just going to let him kill your parents and all the other poor, innocent Muggles and Muggle-borns he targets?" Elaina asked waspishly.

"No," Lyra said firmly, "I will never let that happen. I am going to try to change his mind."

Elaina's eyebrows shot up in disbelief, " _Change_ his mind?" She asked skeptically.

"Yes." Lyra said, "I have to try. If I fail, well then, we'll deal with that later, but right now I have to try. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"Trying to convince a psychopath to give up his plans for world domination makes sense!?" Elaina asked incredulously, "What are you expecting? That he turns into a sweet, kind person who goes on to live a normal, genocide-free life?"

"Well I don't know about sweet and kind but I am aiming for non-genocidal yes." Lyra replied dryly.

Elaina stared at her in disbelief for a moment before standing up abruptly and walking back and forth, agitated.

"Last week we were attacked by dementors." Lyra said quietly, and Elaina ignored her, continuing her pacing, "We were coming back from the Forbidden Forest where the centaurs had been giving us advice on how to break the curse on the ring and they came out of nowhere and found us. Riddle tried to cast a patronus, but he couldn't. He almost got his soul sucked out before I came and sent my patronus after the dementor attacking him. He couldn't cast a patronus because he's never been happy, 'Laina. Can you even imagine what that is like? To not even know what happiness feels like?"

Elaina froze, staring at the floor, her arms crossed and made no reply.

"Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort because he saw no other path. He's brilliant - everyone knows that - but he's also incredibly angry. He's angry with his father, for abandoning him, he's angry with the Muggles at the orphanage, for rejecting him and mistreating him, he's angry at the world, for giving him such a bad lot in life. Can you really blame him?"

"It doesn't justify his actions." Elaina snapped, turning to look at her at last.

"No," Lyra conceded, "It doesn't. But it helps us to understand and that's what's most important. No one has ever understood Riddle because no one has ever cared enough to try."

Elaina stared at her, looking tormented. "He doesn't deserve you." She said at last, turning her back on Lyra and slipping out of the room without another word.


	35. Iaculus crinis

**Thanks for the reviews MeriemDjez, Elle Light, Ai Star, and Cassie-011! You guys make my day!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

Sliding into the chair next to Tom in Transfiguration the next day, Lyra jumped when he grabbed her arm, checking to see if the resurrection stone was still on her hand.

"Merlin, Riddle, it's still there." Lyra said, pulling her hand away.

Tom made no reply, turning back to the book he had been reading. Lyra tilted her head, trying to read the title of the book under Tom's hand. _Legends and myths of the ancient world: Separating fact from fiction_ , Lyra read.

"Find anything useful?" Lyra asked, and Tom sighed, closing the book and storing it away in his bag as Dumbledore entered the classroom.

"No," Tom said dryly, "And let me guess...you haven't even started looking yet?"

"It's been less than 24h." Lyra protested defensively, "I had to sleep in that time you know."

Tom scoffed, "You can sleep when you're dead." He said and Lyra shot him a withering look.

"I'll start right after class today." She whispered as Dumbledore began to lecture about human transfiguration and the dangers of turning living creatures into inanimate objects.

Lyra jumped as the door to the classroom swung open, banging against the wall with the force of it, and Cepheus Lestrange entered, looking furious.

"Ah Mr. Lestrange, nice of you to join us." Dumbledore said, ignoring the murderous look on his student's face.

Ignoring Dumbledore and the stares of the other students completely, Cepheus marched straight to the back of the classroom and roughly pulled out a chair and slid into it.

Students began to whisper amongst themselves and Lyra shot Tom a confused look out of the corner of her eye. Tom merely shrugged, totally unconcerned... _too_ unconcerned.

Lyra frowned in suspicion as Dumbledore began speaking again as if nothing had occurred. Staring discreetly at Tom out of the corner of her eye as she took notes, she tried to read him well enough to determine how much he knew. Of course, reading Tom Riddle had always been an impossible task and Lyra soon gave up, putting it out of her mind.

As class ended, Lyra rushed to catch up with Elaina and Rosalie, following them out of the classroom.

"How was your date, Rose?" Lyra asked, "You haven't even told me who it was with yet."

"Well let's just say I have better taste than you." Rosalie said, grinning and Lyra felt a chill run down her spine as her and Elaina exchanged a look.

"I was not on a date!" Lyra cried, and Rosalie shushed her.

"Whatever." She said, brushing it off, "Anyway I'll give you three guesses who it was."

"You win." Elaina said, rolling her eyes.

"Just tell us, Rose." Lyra agreed and Rosalie shot them both dirty looks.

"You're no fun." She complained, "It was Will Taylor."

"You went on a date with a Gryffindor!?" Elaina cried and Lyra blinked. She had no idea who this Will boy was.

"Yes and he's Muggle-born too." Rosalie said, sounding rather proud of the fact. "Told you I wasn't prejudiced."

Elaina rolled her eyes, "Are you sure you're not just dating him to prove that?" She sneered, "Or maybe as a little act of rebellion against your dear mother?"

Rosalie glared at her friend, "Thank you, Elaina, for all the faith you have in me. It's really what's kept me going all these years."

Elaina shrugged, "Just here to help you self-reflect." She said, smirking and Rosalie shot her a withering look as Lyra laughed.

"You know I think I'm actually going to go have lunch with him." Rosalie said as they entered the Great Hall, "His company is a vast improvement over yours if I'm being honest."

"Well as long as you're being honest." Elaina sneered as Rosalie shot her one last dirty look before marching straight over to the Gryffindor table and sliding onto the bench between two boys.

"Speaking of honesty, has the love of your life told you what he did to Cepheus's girlfriend?" Elaina said waspishly as soon as Rosalie was out of earshot.

Lyra froze, turning to stare at Elaina, "What happened!?" She asked, realizing her intuition had been correct, "Also he's not the love of my-"

"You should ask him." Elaina snapped, nodding in the direction they had just came. Tom had just entered the Great Hall with Eridanus, Abraxas, and Cygnus and Lyra felt her annoyance flare as she looked at the smug look on his face. Whatever he had done, he was happy about it.

"He'll know you told me." Lyra protested but to her surprise Elaina merely shrugged.

"Well he can't kill or seriously harm me, so really, what's the risk?" Elaina pointed out, raising an eyebrow and Lyra sighed.

"That is really not the approach to take," She said, "With Riddle there is _always_ a risk."

"And yet you insist on keeping him around." Elaina replied and Lyra felt a prickle of annoyance.

"We're not having this conversation again, _Grandmother_." Lyra said, and Elaina swatted her on the arm.

"Don't call me that. I haven't even had children yet." She protested and Lyra laughed, grinning impishly as she walked away towards Tom. She felt her amusement fade as she approached him, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away from his "friends".

"Can I talk to you?" Lyra asked sharply and Tom gave her his infamous death glare.

"Is that not what you are doing, albeit rather aggressively?" Tom asked dryly.

"Alone." Lyra snapped, "Can I talk to you alone?"

Hearing the snickers of laughter from Abraxas, Cygnus and Eridanus, Tom turned his head and silenced them with a look. "Well do you need me to show you where the table is or do you think you can manage on your own from here?" He snapped and Lyra watched as the three of them slunk off to rejoin the other Slytherins.

"Well?" Tom snapped, "We are alone. That _was_ what you wasn't, wasn't it?"

Lyra sighed, wondering whether it was pushing her luck to drag him out of the Great Hall. Figuring it was not worth the time or effort when no one was near enough to hear them anyway, Lyra gave up.

"What did you do to her?" Lyra snarled, and Tom frowned, looking every bit the picture of innocent confusion.

"What did I do to who?" He asked.

"Cepheus's girlfriend." Lyra snapped, "Drop the act already. I know it was you. I saw the look on your face when Cepheus came into class today."

"It was Selwyn, wasn't it?" Tom sneered, glaring in Elaina's direction.

"What?" Lyra asked, "No, I-"

"Drop the act already." Tom said, mimicking her and Lyra groaned inwardly.

"Well what did you do to her?" Lyra asked again, and a truly evil smirk spread slowly across Tom's face.

"Nothing that can't be fixed with the help of a few simple potions." He drawled and Lyra felt her temper flare.

"Tell me." She ground out, and Tom chuckled.

"Have you ever heard of _iaculus crinis_?" Tom asked.

"No." Lyra snapped, "What is that? A spell?"

"A curse." Tom said, smirking evilly, "It was made famous by its most notorious sufferer - a witch by the name of Medusa. Contrary to popular belief, people don't actually turn into stone when they look at a person with _iaculus crinis_ but the snakes are rather repulsing to look at regardless."

"You turned her hair into snakes!?" Lyra cried, horrified and Tom smirked.

"Well seeing as we are so acquainted with curses now, I thought I'd try one out for myself. "

" _Try one out_?" Lyra repeated, her anger mounting at the smug look on his face.

"Yes well Lestrange was annoying me so-"

"So you decided to just _casually_ curse his girlfriend!?" Lyra cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "Riddle, what the hell is wrong with you? That girl did _nothing_ to deserve this."

Tom raised an eyebrow, looking amused at her outburst, "Don't be so melodramatic, Reed, it's very curable. All it takes to lift the curse is a very simple potion made from the liver of a toad and-"

"For Merlin's sake Riddle, that is _not_ the point." Lyra snapped, crossing her arms and squeezing her eyes shut as she struggled to regain control of her temper.

Tom merely smirked, "You disapprove." He said smugly, "And yet you're not going to tell anyone it was me. Why? The same reason Lestrange will never tell anyone. No one will ever believe you."

"Again, Riddle, not the point." Lyra snapped, "I'm not so much upset that you won't be punished for this but that you don't care that you hurt an innocent girl just to get back at her boyfriend for what...for _annoying_ you?"

Tom raised an eyebrow, looking amused, "I fail to see the problem here."

"Of course you do, you bloody psychopath." Lyra snapped, leaning her head against the wall behind her in exasperation.

"I find it strange that you are reacting so strongly to this when you've seen and heard of me committing far greater crimes." Tom said, examining her as if she were an interesting object of study.

"Yes well, one day when I feel up to it, I'll happily yell at you for those too." Lyra sneered and Tom scoffed.

"Tell your friend she'll mind her own business if she knows what's good for her." Tom said, glancing in the direction of Elaina and Lyra stiffened.

"You can't hurt her." Lyra reminded him and Tom snorted.

"I didn't _technically_ hurt Lestrange's Ravenclaw girl either, now did I?" He sneered and Lyra glared at him.

"What if I stopped helping you find the cloak?" Lyra threatened and Tom scoffed.

"You do know that for you to stop doing something you have to first _start_ doing it?" Tom sneered, "And remind me again? How much research have you done, exactly, on this cloak of invisibility?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Whatever." She said, conceding defeat on this one. Tom smirked and Lyra resisted the urge to punch him in the arm as they made their way over to the table at last.

* * *

Despite her irritation with him, Lyra made good on her promise to Tom and threw herself into research on the cloak of invisibility. Whenever she wasn't studying or spending time with Elaina or Rose, she would meet Tom in the library and together they would pore through pile upon pile of books. What Tom didn't know was that while she was looking for information on the cloak, she was also looking for more information on blood curses.

She had sent out a letter to the centaurs, asking for help with the blood curse, the day after they had successfully removed the curse on the stone. She had received a reply a few days later saying that there was nothing they could do and that the curse could only be broken the regular way. Lyra had debated going into the Forbidden Forest after that but she had ultimately decided against it for the moment and decided instead to try some research of her own.

Lyra had considered telling Elaina about her potential insight on how to break the blood curse on their family but she had been unable to bring herself to do so. It was too risky, Lyra told her repeatedly. Elaina was too sensitive, with her mother dying from the curse and everything, to be able to think clearly about everything and it would just be too stressful, Lyra told herself. However, an annoying nagging voice in the back of her mind kept pointing out the fact that perhaps, she didn't want to tell Elaina because that would require admitting she had forgotten to ask the centaurs about the blood curse while she had actually been in the Forbidden Forest.

Lyra mentally smacked herself as she remembered this unfortunate fact. She had been in the library with Tom for a few hours already and the words were beginning to blur in front of her eyes and her mind was beginning to wander. How had she managed to forget? Her own cousin and great-grandmother were afflicted with the curse and yet she had been so preoccupied with the ring and with Tom that she had forgotten. How had the future Dark Lord become a bigger priority than her own _family_? Lyra looked up at Tom, his brow furrowed slightly in concentration and shook her head. They had been strangely peaceful ever since their fight in the Great Hall over Cepheus's girlfriend. She wouldn't go so far as to say they were friends or anything of the sort but they had gotten very good at sitting next to each other and reading without breaking into an argument or glaring at one another and that was a definite improvement.

However, trust was still clearly an issue as Tom stared at his ring on her finger every time they met as if worried it would disappear. This was, obviously, impossible since Lyra had no idea how to undo the spell Tom had cast on it to glue it to her finger, nor did she have any desire to do so. She had gotten used to the soft pulsating magic of it and she was actually not looking forward to the day she would inevitably have to give it back to Tom.

Lyra sighed as she stood up, deciding to call it quits. Dinner would be over soon and if she didn't go now she would miss it. Tom looked up, frowning slightly.

"You're going already?" He asked, "You've only been here for-"

"Two hours." Lyra finished for him, "That's enough for now, don't you think? I had a big test today and I have another essay due tomorrow and I need a break."

Tom raised an eyebrow, "You mean you're lazy."

"You need a break too. I know you haven't been sleeping much I can see the bags under your eyes." Lyra said, and Tom sighed in annoyance.

"It's been a week and we have found nothing." Tom complained, "If we do not speed up the process, Grindelwald will find the cloak before we do and we cannot let that happen. Getting it back from him would be near impossible."

Lyra sighed, "Riddle, none of this will matter if we die from sleep deprivation."

Tom scoffed, "Sleep deprivation will be the least of your concerns if Grindelwald finds the cloak first because you were too lazy to do your part."

"Why do you even care so much?" Lyra asked, "Aren't there other ways to become immortal?"

Tom narrowed his eyes, staring at her almost suspiciously, "Do you know of any?"

Lyra rolled her eyes, "No, but I'm just saying maybe you don't need to be killing yourself over finding these Deathly Hallows. It could take years to find them - are you really going to spend all your waking hours in the library for years on end?"

"Well I fail to see what else I could be doing that would be more productive." Tom snapped.

"How about eating dinner?" Lyra asked and Tom scoffed, making no reply and Lyra sighed, letting her books fall back onto the desk.

"Fine, I'll go get us both some food from the Great Hall and then we can continue." She said, turning to leave.

Entering the Great Hall, Lyra saw that most students had already eaten and left; only Olive and Druella were still at the Slytherin table. Wow, I really am late, she mused as she strode over to the Slytherin table and filled up two plates with food, making sure to include some desert as well.

"Eating for two are you?" Olive sneered as Lyra picked up the two plates, "Or are you bringing that to Tommy-dearest?"

Lyra shot her roommate a dark look and turned her back on the two Slytherin girls, trying to ignore their fiendish laughter as she walked away. They were jealous, that much was clear, of the many hours she spent with Tom. Despite the fact that Olive was dating Abraxas and Druella had been in an arranged marriage to Cygnus since birth, they still stared at Tom dreamily from across the classroom and pestered him with annoying questions over the dinner table. As much as she disliked the two girls, Lyra could not deny that watching Tom try to conceal his eternally growing irritation with them was quite entertaining.

As she approached with the food, Tom looked up and Lyra watched as he eyed the food possessively. Lyra laughed, setting the plates down on the table and pushing some of the books out of the way.

"We're probably not allowed to do this." She said, looking around them and seeing no one.

Tom shrugged unconcernedly, picking up a fork and pushing around his food as he examined it closely. Lyra watched in amusement as he pushed all the mushrooms to the side of his plate with a look of disgust on his face before proceeding to carefully separate the mashed potato from the peas.

"You know Olive and Druella were in the Great Hall when I went to get the food and they guessed the other plate was for you." Lyra said after a moment.

At this, Tom's face darkened with irritation, "And what did you say?" He asked dryly.

"I didn't say anything, I just left." Lyra said, and Tom sighed looking up at her as if assessing her.

"Come to Slughorn's ball with me." He said and Lyra nearly choked on her food.

"What!?" She asked, thinking she needed to get her ears checked.

Tom clicked his tongue impatiently, "Druella asked me to take her since she was too unintelligent to get invited herself and she won't leave me alone until I say yes. Seeing as hexing her mouth shut is regrettably not an option, I need a valid excuse as to why I cannot take her. You will be my excuse."

Lyra raised her eyebrows, not knowing whether to be offended or not, "Your excuse?" She asked, "By the way are you asking me to go with you or ordering me to? It's kind of unclear."

"Whichever makes you more inclined to agree." Tom said, a slight smirk on his face.

Lyra hesitated. She was not opposed to spending the night with Tom Riddle - as strange as that realization was - but then again, if she went with him she wouldn't be able to go with Conan, like she'd planned. There was also the issue of explaining to Conan, Elaina, and Rosalie that she was, once again, not actually dating Tom nor was there anything going on between them - a story that was getting harder and harder to sell the more time they spent cooped up in the library together.

On the other hand, her entire reason for being in the past was to change the future and if she really intended to stop Tom from becoming Voldemort then she needed to befriend him somehow and turning down his offer to go to a dance was a step in the wrong direction. In the grand scheme of things, what did it matter if her friends thought she liked him if she managed to change the course of history altogether and save her parents. It was selfish, really, to turn down his offer.

"Sure." Lyra said after a moment, "I'll go with you."

A slight look of surprise passed behind Tom's eyes but he quickly concealed it and nodded.

"Good." He said, pushing away the rest of his food and returning to his attention to his never ending stack of books.


	36. You don't like fruitcake?

**Thanks once again for the reviews! They've given me a lot to think about but I think I'm basically going to go with my original plan. Cassie-011, you read my mind although Elle Light, your concerns are duly noted! While I think the tables do certainly need to be turned on Tom - he needs to see Lyra as someone who won't be around no matter what he does - I understand your concern, Elle Light, about him getting too upset and dangerous. So I have a solution which will involve jealousy but in a "safe" way lol. It's going to take me a chapter or two to get to this part though. This chapter is actually kind of happy - Tom needs to have something to miss.**

 **Also, Elle Light, yes you are right, Lyra is sacrificing a lot for a person who doesn't deserve it...even if she is doing it to save her parents. The trouble with trying to write a realistic Tom is that so much character development has to happen before he's even ready to even start liking someone. However, he's getting there. He's beginning to trust her and enjoy her company - something that has never happened with anyone before.**

 **Sabcal, yes they are extremely lucky to get away with that in any library lol**

 **Ai Star, yes he wasn't expecting her to say yes because, despite all she does for him, he's still incapable of understanding she doesn't hate him and he was expecting her to want to go with Conan or someone else.**

 **MeriemDjez, yes they are! It does take forever because, well, he's Tom Riddle, but progress is being made.**

 **AlexisDumbie and Liam1094, Tom is a little slow isn't he...**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

To Lyra's surprise and consternation, Elaina and Rosalie were not even surprised when she broke the news to them that she was going to Slughorn's party with Tom.

"Well you spend every single bloody minute of your free time with the git, who else would you go with?" Rosalie exclaimed and Lyra sighed.

"Yes but we're not even friends." Lyra protested.

"No it looks like you kind of skipped friendship." Rosalie said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

Lyra shot her a withering look and slammed her Potions book closed. "I wish I never told you." Lyra snapped, standing up.

"Hey, wait now." Rosalie said, putting a hand on her arm, "I'm sorry, I'll shut up."

Lyra shook her head, "Unfortunately, I have detention with Dumbledore now." Lyra said, turning to leave without a look back. She felt her cheeks burn with anger all the way up to Dumbledore's office. She was angry with Tom for putting her in an awkward situation. She was angry at Rosalie and Elaina for judging her. And, she was angry at herself for being unable to prevent all of this.

"Ah, there you are." Dumbledore said as she entered, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you alone this time, Headmaster Dippet wants me in his office. You can continue transcribing the same book as last time where you left off and there are lemon drops on the desk if you get hungry."

"P-professor could I just ask you one quick question?" Lyra asked, stopping him on his way out the door.

"Yes, one very quick question would be alright." Dumbledore said.

"Is there a way to break a blood curse without being related to the one who cast the curse?" Lyra asked and Dumbledore froze, examining her carefully for a moment.

"This is about your friend, Miss Selwyn?" Dumbledore said after a moment and Lyra nodded.

"Yes, Elaina's mother is dying of a blood curse inflicted upon her family by a member of Rosalie's family." Lyra said, "Rosalie won't lift it because the punishment for doing so is the loss of all magical abilities. Is there any way around all this?" Lyra asked desperately.

Dumbledore hesitated, his hand on the door, "I am not, as yet, aware of a way." He said at last, and Lyra's heart sunk. "However, that does not mean there is not a way." He said, smiling sadly. "Miss Selwyn should consult with someone who has studied blood curses in depth."

"Like who?" Lyra asked, wondering whether he did know more than he was letting on. After all, if he had cracked the riddle on the note she had given him, he must have already been to see the centaurs. If this was indeed the case, then shouldn't he also know how to break blood curses? Unless of course the instructions the centaurs had given him were specific to the blood pact he had made with Grindelwald.

"I will send you a list of names." Dumbledore, "Now I am very sorry but I'm afraid I really must be going."

Lyra nodded, "Thank you, Professor." She said, watching as he closed the door behind him.

* * *

The night of Slughorn's party arrived sooner than Lyra wanted. Before she knew it, Elaina, Olive and herself were zipping up the backs of their dresses and putting on more makeup than Lyra had put on in her life. Druella and Rosalie were helping out, not having received invites to the party. Then again, Olive had not received an invite either but her boyfriend, Abraxas had, and he had asked her to go with him. While Rosalie was happy not to be going, Druella had been in a foul mood ever since she had learned that Tom had decided to take Lyra with him instead of her - even after she had outright _asked_ him to take her.

"Ow!" Lyra cried as she felt Rosalie's wand - which was serving as a hair curler and was quite hot - touch her bare neck.

"Sorry!" Rosalie cried, carefully picking up another strand of blonde hair and wrapping it around her wand more slowly this time.

"It's okay." Lyra said, looking over at Elaina who was putting in yet another bobby pin into her already perfect hair.

Lyra looked down at her own lap, smoothing out the green fabric of the dress Elaina had lent her seeing as she had none of her own. She kicked her feet, wondering how long it would take before the high heels Rosalie had given her gave her blisters.

"Okay you're done." Rosalie said, stepping back and grinning. "Take a look." She said, holding up a mirror to Lyra's face.

Lyra's eyes opened in surprise at the quality of the curls and the makeup. Rosalie had done a great job - far better than Lyra could have ever done herself. Satisfied, Lyra put down the mirror and smiled at Rosalie.

"Thank you." She said, standing up and giving her friend an impromptu hug that made Rosalie laugh.

"If you're ready go on down without me." Elaina said, looking over at Lyra, "I'll be a while and it's already past 7:30."

Lyra felt a rush of adrenaline go through her. She was already late?

"It's fine, I can go tell Tom we're running late and then-" Lyra protested but Elaina cut her off.

"No, you may as well just go." Elaina said, "I need to go to Gryffindor tower to meet Conan anyway."

Lyra hesitated before agreeing. She had completely forgotten Elaina was going with Conan - a strange fact seeing as she had set them up. Knowing both Elaina and Conan had been invited to the party but had no dates, she had suggested they go together. While Elaina had been reluctant at first, knowing what she did about Conan, she had given in eventually.

"Okay, I'll see you there!" Lyra said, leaving just as Druella and Olive got into their 100th fight of the evening and Druella threw Olive's comb against the mirror, breaking it.

Lyra quickly closed the door behind her, happy to have escaped the madness unscathed. Pushing the door to the common room open, Lyra was unsurprised to find Tom waited over by the fireplace, surrounded by his knights. Tom, Abraxas, and Cepheus were in dress robes, whereas Cygnus and Eridanus, the two Slytherin boys who had not been invited to the party were still wearing their regular school robes.

"Ready?" Lyra asked, walking up to the group and Tom looked up at her, his eyes widening imperceptibly as he took in her dress.

To her right, Lyra heard Cygnus whoop and whistle and she turned to glare at him and the other Slytherin boys as they collapsed into laughter.

Tom shot his Knights a withering look before pulling her towards the exit, "I'm surprised you haven't murdered one of _them_." Lyra said as they left the room and Tom snorted.

"Believe me, I've thought about it many times." Tom replied and Lyra laughed.

"You should have seen Olive getting ready." Lyra said, "She threw her high heel at Druella's head because she accidentally got the hairspray in her eyes and then Druella purposefully did her lipstick all wrong so Olive had to start all over again. Druella's jealous cause she can't go and Olive's been flaunting it in front of her for days. I'm actually surprised they're still talking."

Tom looked sideways at her, amused, "Druella doesn't know how lucky she is to not have to go to this thing." He said bitterly.

"You know you could always stop getting straight Os in Potions and sucking up to Professor Slughorn and you too could enjoy the privilege of not having to attend Slug Club events." Lyra said.

Tom snorted, "And ruin my reputation as the brightest student Hogwarts has ever seen?" He said arrogantly and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"You know I don't understand why you even care about your reputation so much when you're not even planning on being a part of wizarding society." Lyra said, frowning, "You don't need to be popular with the teachers to become a Dark Lord and you don't need good grades to take over the world."

"Tell me, Reed," Tom said, looking at her out of the corner of his eye, "Would the other Slytherin boys do what I asked of them if they did not respect me? And would these rich pureblood wizards respect me, a poor half-blood orphan, if I were not the brightest student in the school?"

Lyra hesitated, not wanting to admit he was right.

"And do you really think Headmaster Dippet would dismiss Dumbledore's claim that I was the one who opened the Chamber of Secrets if I did not make an effort to charm everyone at this school?" Tom asked, and Lyra sighed in defeat.

"Okay, I see the logic." She conceded as they arrived at the door to the party and Tom turned to smirk at her, holding out his arm.

Lyra raised an eyebrow, "You hate physical contact."

"Yes well I do have a reputation to maintain, now, don't I?" Tom said, and Lyra rolled her eyes before linking her arm through his and together they stepped into the room.

Slughorn had charmed an old classroom to look twice as large and had decorated the room with streamers and curtains and bows of holly and ivy. Lyra stared around herself, amazed at seeing her classmates in something other than their regular school robes. Before they could blink, Slughorn spotted them and Lyra found herself wishing they had entered the classroom more discreetly.

"Tom, my boy!" Slughorn boomed and Lyra felt Tom flinch next to her. He clearly was just as unhappy as she was about having to make conversation with Slughorn but he arranged his face into a perfect smile anyway.

"Professor." Tom said smiling and nodding politely as he held out his free hand for Slughorn to shake.

"Lyra, how lovely you look this evening!" Slughorn said, and Lyra suddenly felt incredibly self-conscious as Tom looked over at her and nodded.

"Doesn't she." Tom agreed and Lyra resisted the urge to slap him on the arm.

Well you must meet some of our most distinguished guests!" Slughorn said, gesturing for them to follow him over to a crowd of older witches and wizards, "We've got quite the crowd here tonight. Veros here used to be the top Healer at St. Mungo's and even now that he's retired he's still getting phone calls from younger Healers needing his expertise. Mrs. Friedman here is a world-class journalist for the..."

Lyra zoned out as Slughorn droned on and on, introducing the people in the circle around them, and glanced over at Tom. She could tell he wanted to be anywhere but here at the moment - his mask was so easy to see though, Lyra realized, once she knew what to look for. She wondered absently whether this was why Dumbledore had so accurately judged Tom's character when all over professors had failed to do so - he had seen Tom in the orphanage before he'd had any reason to conceal his true self and this meant he too knew what to look for.

Spotting another student, Slughorn excused himself from the group and left Tom and Lyra with the guests. A tall, woman, whose name Lyra had forgotten to listen to, turned to her and smiled.

"And what is your plan for after graduation?" The woman asked and Lyra blinked. Not this question again.

"Well, I'm not sure actually." She said, shrugging, "What are your plans again, Tom?"

Lyra smiled mischievously at Tom, inwardly laughing at the annoyance he must be feeling at having had the attention deflected onto him.

Tom smiled, "I would like to be a professor." Tom said, "Of Defence Against the Dark Arts."

Lyra turned to him in surprise. "Really?" She blurted out before she could stop herself.

Tom turned to look at her, "Yes, I was thinking about it and there's really no place better than Hogwarts. As a professor I could continue my own magical studies while helping shape the next generation of witches and wizards." Tom said, earning himself approving nods from the guests around them.

Lyra bit her tongue, understanding the hidden message in his words. Hogwarts would be the perfect place to slip deeper into the Dark Arts, recruit new witches and wizards as followers, and remain connected to and informed about the wizarding world at large.

"I am certain Hogwarts would be lucky to have you." A man with a long beard said and Lyra was jolted from her reverie.

"Yes, from what Slughorn tells me, you're the brightest student in your year!" Veros, the healer exclaimed, "And Head Boy too!"

"Well I am not sure about brightest, Lyra here is also a very talented witch." Tom said, sounding and looking embarrassed at the praise, although Lyra was certain he was relishing in it deep down.

Lyra laughed uncomfortably, "Not as talented as Tom." She said.

"Aw well aren't you two just the sweetest couple." The first woman exclaimed, making Lyra's skin crawl. If only she knew...Lyra thought bitterly.

To Lyra's consternation, Tom smiled at the compliment and put his arm around Lyra's waist, squeezing her to him in a way that was incredibly uncomfortable. Forcing a smile, Lyra grabbed ahold of his hand and pinched it, feeling Tom flinch and loosen his grip on her.

"Well it was lovely meeting you all." Tom said, and Lyra felt a rush of relief run through her, "Neither of us have had anything to eat for dinner and I can tell Lyra has been eyeing the food tables so I think we had better go find something to eat. However, I'm certain we'll run into each other once again before the night's through."

Lyra resisted the urge to pinch Tom again for his comment about her eyeing the food tables and forced a smile, "Yes, I hope we'll see you around!" She said, waving goodbye as Tom led her away amid a chorus of goodbyes.

As soon as they were out of ear shot, Tom let go of her waist and grabbed her by the elbow instead, pulling her roughly towards the far side of the room.

"Where are we going?" Lyra asked.

"Somewhere we can avoid human contact." Tom replied and Lyra laughed.

"You really are the most antisocial person I've ever met." Lyra remarked jokingly as Tom pulled her over to the table the fruit cake was sitting on. Unsurprisingly, Lyra thought to herself, it was the least popular table.

"So are we just going to stand here for the whole night?" Lyra asked, wrinkling her nose at the fruit cake in front of her.

"You don't like fruit cake?" Tom asked, noticing her expression.

"Do you?" She asked and Tom merely snorted.

"Do you seriously want to be the Professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts or was that just a lie you told them?" Lyra asked suddenly and Tom met her eyes, examining her for a moment before speaking.

"I have no desire to leave Hogwarts." Tom said evasively.

"So you do want to be a professor then?" Lyra asked, "So you can convert the students to your cause and study the Dark Arts in your spare time?"

"And explore the castle." Tom added, his eyes lighting up with a kind of excitement Lyra rarely saw in them, "Hogwarts holds more secrets than anyone has ever dreamed of. There's old magic in this building."

Lyra was silent for a moment, considering this. "You really love this place." Lyra mused and Tom made no reply.

The two of them slipped into silence for a moment and Lyra scanned the room, searching for Elaina and Conan and finding them nowhere.

"They're not here yet." Lyra said, frowning and looking over at Tom.

"Who?" He asked.

"Elaina and Conan." Lyra said, thinking it should have been obvious.

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Does that concern you?"

Lyra shot him a withering look, "Well if they're not here in another half an hour I'm going to go looking for them."

Tom sighed, "Reed, if they're not here then they likely just decided not to come. Selwyn doesn't strike me as the kind of person to enjoy parties."

"She's not." Lyra agreed, "But she took the time to dress herself up and I don't she would put so much effort into charming her hair to stay in place if she didn't intend on coming."

Tom made no reply and Lyra noticed he had that deep-in-thought expression written all over his face again.

"Let's go dance." Lyra said, nodding towards the dance floor that was slowly filling up. "It'll look strange if we spend the entire night by the fruit cakes."

Tom nodded wordlessly and Lyra led the way to the dance floor. Lyra jumped slightly as Tom took her by the waist and he raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know how to dance." Lyra blurted out as the reality that she was, in fact, dancing with Lord Voldemort sunk in. She had come to the past to kill him and she had ended up dancing with him. I suppose this is what happens when you send a Hufflepuff to carry out an assassination, Lyra thought, laughing inwardly.

"How does Selwyn feel about Lestrange's girlfriend?" Tom asked suddenly and Lyra looked at him in surprise.

"Why do you ask?" Lyra asked, frowning.

"Well they have been friends since first year and now Lestrange seems to be spending a lot more time with that Ravenclaw than with Selwyn." Tom said, raising an eyebrow.

"She's not jealous." Lyra said, "If that's what you're wondering."

"Well I just mean, they were close, were they not? They told each other everything." Tom said and Lyra froze, examining Tom's face carefully.

"Riddle she doesn't know anything about you." Lyra said, resuming the dance slowly.

"If she knows nothing then why does she dislike me." Tom said, a dangerous edge to his voice.

Lyra hesitated. If she said Elaina didn't dislike him, he would be able to see through this lie and he would immediately think she was hiding something. On the other hand, if she said Elaina did dislike him but maintained she knew nothing...that also sounded very much like a lie.

"I don't know exactly." Lyra said at last, "She distrusts you, I think. She thinks you're too...perfect."

Tom snorted, "Don't lie to me, Reed, I know you know it is more than that."

Lyra stopped, pulling her hands off Tom, "As far as I know, it is not more than that. Elaina is good at reading people, it's not surprising she'd be able to see through your act."

"Don't make a scene." Tom whispered, glaring at her as he grabbed her hand and put his hand back on her waist once again.

"What, you don't want other people to see through your little act?" Lyra asked scathingly, just loud enough for the people next to them to hear her.

Tom's eyes flashed dangerously for a moment before he smoothed his expression over with a forced smile.

"If you don't believe me, why don't you ask Cepheus?" Lyra asked, and Tom snorted.

"Lestrange is too skilled at Occlumency. I have considered using Veritaserum but it's too risky to steal from Professor Slughorn with Dumbledore keeping such an annoyingly close watch on me." Tom ground out bitterly, and Lyra shivered involuntarily. If Tom continued looking into how much Elaina knew...there could be serious consequences for not only Elaina and Cepheus, but also herself. She had told Elaina much, much too much about the future...

"If Elaina knew anything, don't you think she would have acted on it already?" Lyra asked, and Tom sighed.

"Perhaps." He said, not sounding convinced.

They danced in silence for a moment before the slow song that had been playing ended and a more upbeat song began. Possessed with an insane desire to not only make Tom forget about their previous conversation but also actually have fun at the party, Lyra started to swing their clasped hands in time with the music and stepped up the pace of their dance. Tom raised an eyebrow, looking slightly amused and Lyra grinned impishly until, to Lyra's slight surprise, he joined in. Lyra saw the world blur around her as Tom spun her around and she laughed as he caught her again. Tom smirked, looking almost...happy...which only served to make Lyra want to dance more.

Lyra's happiness faded as she spotted a pair of piercing blue eyes, watching them. Dumbledore was standing by the drink table, watching them intently in a way that made Lyra want to sink through the floor and disappear.

"What's wrong?" Tom asked, noticing her freeze up.

"Nothing." Lyra lied, and Tom gave her a look that said he clearly knew this was not true.

Lyra opened to her mouth to explain when Elaina entered the room, followed by Headmaster Dippet. The two of them spoke briefly to Dumbledore, anxious looks on their faces before going over to speak to Professor Slughorn. As Lyra froze, watching the exchange, Tom turned and looked as well, his entire body stiffening when he noticed Dumbledore was watching them.

"There's something wrong." Lyra whispered, and Tom made no reply, instead pulling Lyra away from Dumbledore's line of vision.

"What are you doing?" Lyra protested, pulling her arm out of his grasp, "I need to go talk to Elaina. Something's not right."

Tom glared at her, "He was watching me." Tom snarled, "Do you see how insufferable the old coot is, I cannot even-"

"Lyra!" Elaina cried, finally spotting her. Lyra's stomach did a flip flop as her grandmother briskly walked over to her and grabbed her arms, pulling her away from Tom.

"What's going on?" Lyra asked frantically.

"Lyra, Conan's gone." Elaina whispered and Lyra's heart skipped a beat.

"What?" Lyra asked. "What do you mean _gone_?"

"I mean he's disappeared." Elaina said, shooting a sideways glance at Tom who was listening in intently. "His things are gone and he's left the school without a word. I just spent the past hour in Headmaster Dippet's office speaking with authorities and they're out looking for him right now."

Lyra stood, rooted to the spot, unable to comprehend what she was hearing, "But _why_? Why would he leave?"

Elaina shook her head, looking lost, "I was hoping you might know."

* * *

 **Also side note on something I've been thinking about after I read another Tom Riddle story on here. I know JK Rowling said Voldemort was a psychopath but in this story I am going to treat this statement as applying only to Voldemort in his snake-like form and not the original Tom Riddle. I am going to go with my own hypothesis that he lost the ability to feel empathy as he continued to split his soul into more and more pieces.**

 **Granted, the Tom Riddle in this story (and in canon)** **does lack normal human responses to other peoples' suffering. It's just that in my story it is not so much that he is incapable of feeling empathy but that he is so angry he sees no reason why he should. The reason for this is that I believe if he truly were a psychopath there would be no possibility of genuine romance and obviously romance is one of the genres of this story so...**


	37. The cloak of invisibility

**Thanks for the reviews Sabcal, Ai Star, Cassie-011, MeriemDjez and Elle Light!**

 **MeriemDjez, you are right about one of your guesses! This chapter will let you know which.**

 **Elle Light, I think this chapter might give you some satisfaction...**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

"Miss Reed, would you mind if we had a quick word?" Dumbledore said coming over to the three of them.

Lyra felt Tom tighten next to her and she turned to him, "I um- I have to go." Lyra muttered to Tom.

A brief look of fear passed behind Tom's eyes and he slid his hand into her hand, making Lyra stare at him in shock. What was he _doing_? She had half a mind to pull her hand out of his but before she could do so, Tom had stepped forward, a look of concern on his face, and addressed Dumbledore and Dippet.

"Professors, Headmaster," Tom said respectfully, bowing his head, "I believe Lyra and I have some information that may be of value to you." He said and Lyra turned to stare at him in fear. He was undoubtedly afraid of what an investigation into Conan could bring to light, especially if Lyra was questioned alone, and he was planning on spinning them some kind of elaborate story to steer them off course, Lyra was sure of it. What she wasn't sure of was what this story would mean for her.

Lyra exchanged a quick look with Elaina before nodding. "Yes, I think we do."

Dippet nodded briskly, "Yes very good, you'd better come at once. Miss Selwyn, you are free to go."

Elaina nodded, shooting Lyra one last wary glance before turning to leave the room.

Dumbledore, for his part remained silent, examining Lyra and Tom as Tom tightened his grip on Lyra's hand and pulled her along with him as they followed Dippet down the hallway.

The party of four walked in near total silence until they reached the Headmaster's office. Pulling out a chair for her like the gentleman he was not, Tom finally let Lyra's hand go and sat down in the chair next to her.

"Now, it is my understanding that you are friends with Mr. Devlin, is that right, Miss Reed?" The Headmaster said as he sat himself down in the chair behind his desk. Dumbledore remained standing next to him, his blue eyes pensive.

"Yes, that's right." Lyra replied, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.

"If you will excuse me, Headmaster," Tom said, "I believe it's important you know about my suspicions regarding Mr. Devlin."

Lyra felt her heart race as Headmaster Dippet turned to Tom, his eyebrows raising and made the split second decision not to allow Tom to carry on with whatever story he had concocted. It was simply too risky.

"Your suspicions were correct." Lyra blurted out, turning to look at Tom. Tom looked at her in confusion before Lyra continued on, "He was sent here on a mission from Grindelwald."

Lyra would have laughed at the look of utter shock and confusion on Tom's face were she not so terrified of the consequences of her words.

"I beg your pardon, Miss Reed, what is this you are saying?" Headmaster Dippet asked and Lyra let out a shaky breath.

"He was sent here to find the resurrection stone, one of the Deathly Hallows, and bring it back to Grindelwald." Lyra said, glancing over at Tom, whose face was turning white as a sheet, "Grindelwald knew the resurrection stone had been hidden by Morfin, Tom's uncle, under the old Gaunt house in Little Hangleton. The stone was cursed, however, and so Grindelwald sent Conan here to befriend Riddle and find out how to break the curse. The problem was, of course, that Conan couldn't actually tell Riddle this for fear of turning him in. He tried to get information out of Riddle discreetly but the problem was that Riddle didn't even know the resurrection stone existed, let alone that it was in his uncle's cabin, did you?" Lyra asked, looking over at Tom, who was staring at her as if he had never seen her before.

"So anyway, I don't think he got anywhere with his mission but his disappearance might have something to do with it." Lyra concluded, wringing her hands together as she looked at the stunned faces of the two adults in front of her.

"And how is it that you know all of this, Miss Reed?" Headmaster Dippet asked and Lyra sighed.

"He told me." Lyra said truthfully, "I know I should have reported him, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. His sister was taken captive by Grindelwald and Grindelwald was threatening to kill her if Conan didn't bring him the ring."

"Miss Reed you should have known that reporting him would be the best way to guarantee his safety and the safety of your classmates!" Dippet exclaimed, and Lyra felt her cheeks burn. "Imagine if he had done something to Mr. Riddle...you are lucky he did not resort to violence! And perhaps, if you had told us the moment you found out, he would not be missing now!"

Lyra nodded mutely, "You're right, I'm sorry." She said quietly.

"When did he tell you this?" Dumbledore asked and Lyra hesitated.

"A few weeks ago." She lied, "I found a letter he had written to Grindelwald and confronted him about it."

The room fell silent for a moment and Lyra chanced a glance over at Tom, who was sitting still as a stone statue, his dark eyes intensely focused on the desk in front of him.

"Miss Reed, did Mr. Devlin ever indicate to you that he had any intention of finding either of the other two Deathly Hallows?" Dumbledore asked and Lyra shook her head.

"No, why?" She asked, feeling her stomach sinking.

"Mr. Potter's cloak of invisibility was reported missing this afternoon." Dumbledore said gravely, "Only a few hours before Mr. Devlin was last seen in the castle."

Lyra felt the floor go out from under her and she watched out of the corner of her eye as Tom balled his hand into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

"And you think this cloak of invisibility is... _the_ cloak of invisibility?" Lyra asked and Dumbledore nodded solemnly.

"Yes, it would seem so." He replied, and Lyra felt her stomach do flips until she almost wanted to throw up.

This meant that Grindelwald now had all three Deathly Hallows. He was immortal; invincible. And it was _her fault_.

"Well," Headmaster Dippet said at last, "Unless you have any other information you think may be of help to us, I think it is best if the two of you go back to your dorms and get some rest. However, Miss Reed, I want to impress upon you the severity of your actions. The next time you find out something of this nature, you _must_ report it immediately. Failing to do puts everyone, including yourself, in danger. Frankly speaking, you are incredibly lucky I am not going to punish you for your actions. Consider this a warning, I will not be so generous next time around.

Lyra gulped, nodding, "Yes, sir. I understanding, thank you." She said, wringing her hands as she stood up to leave.

Tom stood up as well, nodding at Dippet and Dumbledore.

"Have a good rest of your night, Mr. Riddle." Dippet said, "I apologize for ruining your time at the party."

Tom shook his head, "Not at all, sir. I'm only sorry I could not have been of more assistance."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Mr. Riddle." Dippet said, smiling wearily at the Head Boy.

"Have a good night, Headmaster Dippet." Tom said, "You as well, Professor Dumbledore."

"Goodnight." Lyra echoed hollowly, following Tom out of the office and closing the door carefully behind her.

The moment the door was closed, Tom took off quickly down the steps and Lyra rushed to catch up with him, knowing she had a lot of explaining to do.

"Riddle," Lyra called, the moment they exited the stairwell and came out into the hallway. "Wait!"

Tom made no sign of having heard her and continued to walk away from her as fast as possible. Lyra ran to catch up with him just as he reached an empty classroom. Pulling open the door, he entered the room and Lyra followed, closing, locking, and sound-proofing the door behind her.

"Explain." Tom snapped and Lyra suddenly wished she hadn't soundproofed the door. Being alone in a room with a furious Tom Riddle was not exactly what she'd call _safe_.

"It's true." Lyra said, her hands shaking slightly as she fingered her wand just in case it was needed, "Conan came here to get the stone from you. He told me this when he told me you wanted to lure me into the Chamber of Secrets to kill me back in September. It's the reason he joined the Knights of Walpurgis and the reason he even agreed to spy on me for you in the first place. He was trying to gain your trust and find out what you knew."

Lyra hesitated, wondering whether she should just come clean with everything. Realizing the truth would probably come out sooner rather than later she bulldozed on ahead, bracing herself against the coming wrath.

"When you obliviated him he forgot about his mission. He forgot why he was even at Hogwarts. That is, until Grindelwald sent him a rather aggressive letter asking him why the resurrection stone had been stolen from the Gaunt cabin, and threatening to kill his sister if he did not either find the ring or, alternatively, hand _you_ over to him."

At this Tom's eyes widened and Lyra carried on hurriedly, before he could make any terrible assumptions, "This message confirmed his suspicions that he'd been obliviated. Seeing as at Durmstrang they teach stuff like this, he knew how to unobliviate himself and he successfully performed the spell. Then he came and he confronted me about it and told me about the letter he'd gotten. I told him you didn't have the stone and so he insisted the only way to save his sister was to capture you and give you to Grindelwald. I convinced him not to and instead, Conan stole a time turner - I'm still not certain where he got it from - and we went to the future where you were dead and we talked to Dumbledore. Dumbledore told us that you had found the resurrection stone and that Grindelwald had murdered you a few months later over it. He told us that after he defeated Grindelwald, he'd taken possession of the resurrection stone and so he gave us the resurrection stone and we took it back to the present and Conan gave it to Grindelwald. He told me Grindelwald had let his sister go, I thought everything was okay, I thought-"

"You gave the resurrection stone to Grindelwald?" Tom asked, his eyes flashing red and Lyra froze, confused as to why he would be angry about this.

"Yes, but in the future you were dead and in the present you still have the resurrection stone so it wasn't breaking my vow and-"

"That stone is _mine_." Tom snarled, and Lyra stared at him in confusion.

"If we didn't give him the stone he would have murdered you!" Lyra cried, "In the future we went to you were dead! He killed you over that stone!"

"You should have told me!" He hissed, "You lied to me, you betrayed me!"

"I saved your life!" Lyra cried.

"You knew Conan and Grindelwald were plotting to steal the ring and you kept this information from me. You knew Conan remembered incriminating information about me and you let him go free. He knows I opened the Chamber of Secrets and now he is gone!" Tom snarled.

"Riddle, calm down." Lyra begged, "He's not going to say anything!"

At this, Tom laughed coldly, "Oh really? I am supposed to trust a spy who betrayed me, conspired against me, and was perfectly willing to hand me over to a man who wanted to kill me!?"

Lyra opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out.

"And now he's stolen the cloak as well." Tom ground out, "All this time it was Potter who had it and _now_...now it will be near impossible to steal the cloak from Grindelwald." He said, and Lyra shivered. He was right; they were truly screwed.

"Give me the ring." Tom said and Lyra felt her heart stop for a moment before she remembered she was wearing two rings.

"Riddle, I-" Lyra began, but Tom cut her off as he reached out, grabbed her hand and flipped it over.

"I said give me the ring." Tom snapped, "I was a fool to ever trust you with it." He said, and Lyra felt strangely hurt by his words. She watched as he pointed his wand at her hand and muttered incantations under his breath, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her as she realized she had broken Tom's trust before she'd even realized she'd gained it. Whatever small progress they had been was gone now and Lyra shook her head, trying to think of what she could have done differently. However, thinking back over her actions, she knew that if she had told Tom the truth about Conan, he would have obliviated him again and Grindelwald would have undoubtedly killed Tom and possibly Conan and his sister over the resurrection stone. Realizing this, Lyra felt a surge of annoyance at being blamed when she had done nothing but protect Conan _and_ Tom.

At last, he slid the ring off Lyra's finger and she noticed how cold and strangely bare her finger felt without the warm, pulsating magic of the ring she had come to be attached to.

"I saved your life." Lyra said bitterly, "Not once, but twice. I've kept your secrets even when you didn't deserve it. I've helped you despite your near constant attempts to push me away and put me down. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even know what the Deathly Hallows were. If it weren't for me, you would have never even _known_ there was a curse on your ring." Lyra said, her resentment for him building.

She had been a fool to have ever thought it was possible to befriend him. The stone of fate's design had to have been wrong. Perhaps in some other universe, some other timeline, her and Tom had been in love, but not in this one, Lyra thought bitterly. In this one, he was too selfish, too cruel, too... Lyra shook her head, feeling the rage she had thought she had overcome return full force. This boy had killed her parents. This boy had destroyed her life and how had she rewarded him? By saving him, by helping him, by trying to _befriend_ him.

"I do not care, you betrayed me!" Tom snarled, "Because of you, my secrets are exposed and Grindelwald has the cloak and the ring!"

"I owe you nothing, you selfish git!" Lyra cried, "You were the one who told Conan about the Chamber of Secrets, not me! I saved your life by giving Grindelwald that ring and I had no idea Conan was going to steal the cloak, he lied to me!"

Tom's eyes flashed red, but Lyra was too angry to feel afraid.

"You know what." She snapped, "I'm done helping you. I don't care if you _die_ getting the Deathly Hallows back from Grindelwald, you deserve it. I have tried and tried and _tried_ to get along with you. I have been kind to you, incredibly patient with you, and for some reason, Merlin knows why, I think I actually started to _care_ about you. But it is very clear that you have absolutely _no_ appreciation for anything I do for you."

"Anything you do for _me_!?" Tom scoffed, incredulously, "You are a constant annoyance, burden, and pain. I did not want you to help me in the first place, if you remember. Now, it seems I was right to have not wanted it as you have proven yourself to be a lying piece of-"

Before Tom could finish his sentence, Lyra reached up and slapped him across the face, the sound echoing in the empty classroom. Tom froze, his cheek and eyes turned red and Lyra pulled out her wand, shouting Expelliarmus just as he shot some undoubtedly horrible curse out of his own wand. The two spells rebounded off one another cancelling each other out and Tom and Lyra stood staring at one another, Tom's eyes slowly returning to their regular dark brown colour.

Unlocking the door, Lyra pulled it open roughly, letting it slam against the wall and stormed out of the room.


	38. No funny business

**Thanks for the reviews Elle Light, MeriemDjez, Ai Star and Sabcal!**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Tom watched her go, resisting the urge to curse her retreating figure. He had had to stop himself from truly hurting her and breaking his vow. He had been dangerously angry, almost out of control, and Tom mentally chastised himself for allowing himself to lose self-control like that. Not that his anger wasn't justified, Tom thought. He had trusted her with his _soul_ when all along she had been lying to him and siding with the Gryffindor traitor over him. She had been lying to his face for _months_ , endangering him and their entire mission in the process and now everything was ruined...because of her.

He had been a fool to trust her, even a little bit. He had mistaken her acts of kindness for loyalty when really they had been nothing more than ploys to gain his trust and advance her own self interest. He felt furious at his own stupidity. In this year alone, he had misjudged both Conan and Lyra's trustworthiness. He would have to be much more careful in the future, he thought to himself, twirling his wand.

Tom looked down at his ring, feeling the pulse of his Horcrux. He needed to find a new place to hide it and he had already hidden the diary in the Room of Requirement. Hiding both of his Horcruxes in the same spot was risky, but there really was not a safer place for them. It would take time to find another location outside of the castle to hide the ring and with Conan's disappearance fresh in the minds of the professors, security was likely to be much tighter. This was the worst time possible to leave the castle.

Christmas break. He would wait until Christmas break and then he would have ample time to find the perfect location. Once he turned 17, the trace would be gone and he would be able to perform magic outside of school without alerting authorities. In the meantime he would just have to place the ring in the Room of Requirement - there was no way he was going to put up with wearing it. He simply hated the feeling of its magic too much.

Perhaps another Horcrux would be wise, Tom thought, now that the Deathly Hallows were almost certainly out of his reach - at least until the downfall of Grindelwald. The problem was choosing an object. He had heard rumours of the Grey Lady knowing something about Ravenclaw's lost diadem and had long wondered if he should pay her a visit.

However, perhaps it would be more prudent to wait until after Christmas break to approach her, Tom thought. Dumbledore was watching him even more closely as of late and it may be better if he waited until everything went back to normal before going to talk to the ghost. Until then he would play the part of a normal student because as far as all the professors, except Dumbledore, were concerned, that's what he was.

* * *

As the weeks before Christmas break dragged on, Lyra threw herself into her studies, wanting to beat Tom and be the best in their year as a way to enact petty revenge. Time, and his decision to ignore her existence entirely, had done nothing to lessen her grudge against him. They had not spoken a single word since their fight and Lyra had switched spots in Transfiguration so that she no longer sat next to him. She was certain Dumbledore had noticed, but he said nothing, and Lyra liked it that way.

The worst part of their fallout, initially, had been the rumours. She'd overheard Druella, Olive, Cygnus, and even Professor Slughorn talking about them as if they had been a couple who had broken up and it made Lyra's blood boil. Even Rosalie assumed as much and on some days, it was all Lyra could do not to jinx her. Elaina, of course, knew the truth, and for a while, she was the only one Lyra really enjoyed being around because she was the only one who truly understood.

Conan, for his part, was still missing. No one had seen or heard from him, but based on the growing rumours of Grindelwald intendions to invade Britain sometime in the new year, Lyra figured it was likely he had given him the cloak of invisibility. She wondered briefly if she should tell Dumbledore Grindelwald had the resurrection stone as well, but soon decided against it, reasoning that he would likely conclude as much when he discovered it was no longer under the Gaunt family shack.

The last day of school arrived much sooner than Lyra wanted. She had been dreading going to the orphanage and had thought asking Dumbledore to let her stay at Hogwarts more times than she could count. However, doing so would require explaining why she didn't want to go and that was really not a conversation she wanted to have. Besides, she still needed to figure out what to do about Tom. She couldn't kill him and she couldn't change him. She was stuck and confused and overwhelmed and so she had decided to just not think about it at all. She would figure out a solution in the new year. After all, it was not as if she was in any kind of time crunch as it would be years before Tom became Voldemort...surely she would figure something out before then...

Shaking her head to clear it from such distressing thoughts, Lyra focused on packing her trunk. Elaina had lent her some Muggle clothing seeing as she had only the one dress she had bought in London when she'd arrived and it was now winter. Granted, Elaina didn't have much, but it was better than nothing. Her trunk seemed oddly empty as she closed it but it suddenly seemed much more full when she tried to lift it and found it was annoyingly heavy. She could barely lift it enough to store it above the seat on the train and Rosalie had to help her push it in.

Lyra sighed as she sat back down next to Elaina. Rosalie and her new Gryffindor boyfriend Will sat across from them in the same train compartment, holding hands. Lyra smiled inwardly at the sight of a pureblood Slytherin and Muggle-born Gryffindor holding hands and suddenly the world didn't seem so bleak.

"You know you can always come visit if you hate it there." Rosalie said and Lyra shrugged.

"I want to." She said, "I don't know if I'll be allowed."

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Sneak out. Why are you so rule-abiding all the time?"

Lyra laughed, thinking she was anything but, and Elaina smirked quietly.

"But seriously, owl me everyday so I know Riddle hasn't murdered you in your sleep." Rosalie said, jokingly.

Lyra rolled her eyes, exchanging a look with Elaina, "I doubt he will even acknowledge my existence." She said, "It's more everything else I'm concerned about. I mean, have either of you been to an orphanage before?"

"Mother told me they have rats and mould and they beat the children." Rosalie said and Lyra sighed.

"So you haven't actually been to one?" She asked and the three others shook their heads.

"I knew a kid in my old Muggle school who lived in one." Will said and Lyra turned to look at him. "He was nice enough and I mean, you could tell he was poor, but he didn't look like he was downright starving."

Lyra nodded, "What was the name of the orphanage?"

Will shrugged, "Not sure. Definitely not the one you're going to, I would have remembered if I'd seen Riddle at my school."

Lyra paused, realizing for the first time that Tom must have attended a Muggle school when he was a child. For some reason, the image of him in a classroom full of Muggles learning addition just did not compute.

The rest of the train ride passed in a pleasant blur of candy, exploding snap, and guessing games and Lyra felt a surge of sadness when she was forced to leave the train and her friends. She hugged Elaina and Rosalie goodbye, trying not to cry before going over to where Tom was standing next to a stern, older-looking woman.

"Hi, I'm Lyra." Lyra said, holding out her hand for the woman to shake as she approached and the woman nodded. She shook her head briefly before letting go.

"My name is Mrs. Cole." The woman said, "Let's go, we are already late as it is." She said brusquely, turning on her heel and striding out of the train station without a backward glance. Lyra glanced over at Tom but he ignored her as usual, following Mrs. Cole instead.

Outside, Mrs. Cole led them to a black car and popped the trunk, insisting their put their trunks inside. Lyra did as she was told and then climbed into the back seat of the car, more excited than anything to be in a real 1940s car that wasn't rusted or falling apart. Tom climbed into the backseat with her and he completely ignored her as she settled into place, shooting glances at him out of the corner of her eye. Mrs. Cole got into the driver's seat and started the engine wordlessly and they started off down the road in tense silence. This is going to be a _wonderful_ Christmas break, Lyra thought sarcastically.

Trying to distract herself, Lyra leaned against the car door and looked out the window, watching the London of the 1940s roll past her. She could see piles of debris in places, an uncomfortable reminder of the ongoing Muggle war. At Hogwarts, where the robes were essentially the same as in the 90s, she had almost been able to forget she was in a different era. Outside in the Muggle world, the difference between this time and her own was stark.

At last they arrived at the orphanage and Lyra felt her stomach flip nervously. This place had turned Tom into a Dark Lord and Lyra had always imagined the orphanage to be something out of a black and white horror movie. Slipping out of the car, Lyra looked up at the tall run-down building and remembered the first time she had seen it when she had just arrived in the past. It had been raining and her umbrella had been yellow...it seemed almost a lifetime ago.

"Are you going to carry your own trunk or do you think I'm a porter?" Mrs. Cole asked sharply and turned around to see Mrs. Cole was holding open the trunk of the car, looking at Lyra expectantly.

Lyra blushed, running over to haul her trunk out of the car quickly. "Sorry, I was distracted." She apologized.

"Evidently." Mrs. Cole replied dryly, in a manner that was almost reminiscent of Tom.

Lyra chanced a glance over at Tom to find he was watching the interaction with a subtle smirk on his face and she itched to hex him. He was going to enjoy her misery, Lyra realized. Well Happy Christmas to you, you sadist, Lyra thought viciously as she turned to follow Mrs. Cole up to the front door of the orphanage.

Mrs. Cole pulled out a very large set of keys and fumbled around for the right one before unlocking the door and pushing it open. The hinges creaked as it swung open, pushing some small boots out of the way as it did.

"Elizabeth! Johnathan!" Mrs. Cole rapped as she entered the house, "Why are your boots in front of the door again? I thought I told you to put them away?"

Lyra set her trunk down in the entrance hall to remove her own boots, watching as two little children, who didn't look older than 7, peered around the corner nervously.

"Well get over here and clean up!" Mrs. Cole cried and the little children scurried towards her, quickly picking up their boots, opening a closet to the right of the entrance hall and putting them inside. Lyra and Tom followed their example, and the little children looked at her in timid fascination.

Lyra smiled and waved at them and they instantly blushed and giggled before running away down the hallway.

"Come." Mrs. Cole said briskly, "Your room is upstairs."

Lyra and Tom followed her up the stairs, straining under the weight of their trunks. At last, they reached the top of the seemingly endless staircase and came out into a hallway filled with identical wooden doors with numbers on them. Some of the rooms were open and Lyra caught glimpses of rickety chairs and old desks with the paint peeling off them. Tom took a turn to the right, stopping in front of door number 19 and pulling out a key to unlock the door. Lyra watched him for a moment before Mrs. Cole's cough brought her attention back to what she was supposed to be doing and she followed Mrs. Cole over to a closed door on the opposite side of the hallway.

Lyra stared at the 16 painted in white pain on her door as Mrs. Cole unlocked it and pushed the door open to reveal a small, empty room with nothing other than a desk, chair, cupboard, and bed. It was nearly identical to the room she remembered landing in back when she had been a child and given the stone to Tom.

"The girl's washroom is at the end of the hall to the right." Mrs. Cole said. "Here is your chore schedule for the time you are here." She said, handing Lyra a piece of paper. "Dinner is ready at 7. Don't be late."

Lyra nodded as Mrs. Cole turned to leave. She was about to close the door behind her when Mrs. Cole turned around and looked at her suspiciously, "Oh and no funny business." She said and Lyra frowned in confusion. "If I hear of anything out of the usual happening you will be out of here before you have time to blink."

"Okay." Lyra said, not knowing exactly what she was referring to but too afraid to ask. Mrs. Cole looked her over for a moment before turning sharply on her heel and leaving.

Lyra closed the door behind her and sat down on the bed, hearing the hinges creak as she did. It was cold in the orphanage and Lyra shivered in the thin blouse Elaina had given her. The sheets on her bed were nowhere near thick enough to keep her warm at night and Lyra suddenly wished she'd asked Elaina for a blanket as well.

Seeing as she really did not have many possessions, it only took Lyra a few minutes to unpack before she wound up sitting on her bed again, unsure what to do with herself. Despite knowing Tom hated them, Lyra was undeniably curious about the other orphans and figured she would have to meet them sooner or later anyway. There was still a few hours before dinner and Mrs. Cole had, rather kindly actually, not given her any chores on her first day. This gave her plenty of time to go explore the orphanage and meet the other children.

Locking the door behind her, Lyra left her room and quietly walked down the hallway, peering into the first room that was open. A girl around her own age was sitting on her bed, reading a book and she looked up when Lyra stopped in front of her doorway.

"Hi, my name is Lyra." Lyra said, smiling at the girl, whose eyes only widened a little bit in fear.

"I'm only here for Christmas." She continued when the girl didn't respond, "I go to the same school as Tom."

At this, the girl slammed her book shut and stood up, trembling from head to foot, "Get out." She snapped and Lyra frowned in confusion.

"O-okay." She stammered, wondering what she'd said wrong as the girl slammed the door in her face.

Lyra stood still, staring at the door in shock when another voice spoke up behind her, making her jump.

"Don't take it personally," A boy said and Lyra whipped around to find a small crowd of children of all ages had gathered in the hallway and were staring at her. "Amy just doesn't like Tom, that's all."

Lyra stared at the boy who had spoken. He seemed to be about her own age as well with light brown hair and a ton of freckles. He looked friendly enough and Lyra smiled tentatively.

"I'm Billy." The boy said, holding out his hand and Lyra cautiously shook his hand.

"I'm Lyra." She said, beginning to feel more comfortable as Billy smiled genuinely.

"This is Bonnie, Ruth, Stevie, David, and Jo." Billy said, pointing to each of the children around him in turn. "Ruth is new too," he said, "She's only been here about a month."

"Oh, I'm only here for Christmas," Lyra said, "Then I'll be coming of age."

"I'm leaving next year too." Billy said, "Going to go to join the army if the war is still going on."

Lyra shivered, thinking about what that would be like, "Are you- I mean, do you _have_ to?" She asked.

Billy laughed, "Of course." He said, and Lyra instantly felt very stupid. Of course conscription was mandatory. "But I want to anyway." He added.

" _Why_?" Lyra asked and he laughed again.

"Because we need every man we can get." Billy replied, simply, "If Germany wins it'll be the end of the world. Could you imagine what a world ruled by a fascist dictator would be like?"

Yes, Lyra thought wryly, yes she could.

"Anyway, we don't have to talk about that." Billy said dismissively, "Do you want a tour?"

Lyra grinned, "Sure!"

Billy smiled, "Okay well this is the third floor. Pretty fancy isn't it?" He said, gesturing around himself and some of the younger children giggled.

"That's my room!" The little girl Billy had introduced as Bonnie said, pointing to a door marked 11.

Lyra nodded, smiling when she felt someone tugging on her shirt and looked down to see the little boy Billy had said was called Stevie. From the size of him, Lyra guessed he was no more than 5 years old.

"Want to see my room?" Stevie asked and Lyra resisted the urge to laugh.

"Absolutely, I do." She said, and Stevie's eyes lit up in excitement.

He slipped his tiny hand into hers and pulled her towards number 12, opening the door and pulling her inside.

"These are my coloured pencils." He said, picking up a box of pencil crayons, "I like to draw a lot. I like to draw people, look, I made a drawing of everyone who lives here." He said, pulling out a stack of crumpled papers.

"Stevie, how about you show her all of this later," Billy said, but Lyra laughed.

"No, it's fine, I want to see." Lyra said, looking through the pictures. "Who's this?" She asked, holding up a picture of a little girl.

"That's Ruth!" Stevie exclaimed, pointing enthusiastically at the little girl. "And look, this is Billy." He said, holding up a photo of a boy with dots all over his face and Lyra laughed.

Lyra found a photo of a boy with dark hair and red eyes and felt her blood run cold. "Who's this?" She asked.

"That's Tom." Stevie said, "You know I saw his eyes turn red once?"

"Come on, Stevie, you're not still on about that?" The 13 or 14 year old girl Billy had introduced as Jo asked, rolling her eyes.

"It's true!" Stevie cried, his cheeks blushing with frustration, "Why won't you believe me!?"

"Because it's not _possible_ ," Jo sneered.

Lyra shot a glance over at Billy, who had remained curiously silent during the entire conversation and found he was unwilling to meet her eyes.

"What else is there in your room?" Lyra asked Stevie, who was about to get into a full-blown fight with Jo, and the little boy's face instantly lit up and he ran over to his bed and pulled out a very ragged teddy bear from under his pillow.

"My mommy gave this to me." He said, "His name is Stevie too."

"Very wise." Lyra said, nodding, "Stevie is a great name."

Stevie grinned, almost jumping up and down in excitement.

"Okay, let's move on." Billy said at last, "Stevie, want to show her the playroom?"

Stevie's eyes widened in excitement and he grabbed Lyra's hand again and pulled her out the door.

As they descended the steps, Billy motioned to the second floor and explained that there were more rooms on that floor as well. Reaching the main floor, Stevie led Lyra into a room on the right that was scattered with ragged dolls with missing limbs, a few torn-up children's books, and one very old rocking chair. A group of children sat in the corner, playing with a deck of cards.

Bonnie ran and picked up one of the dolls and brought it to Lyra, "This is my favourite doll. Her name is Linda."

"She's beautiful." Lyra said, privately thinking just the opposite. Linda's hair was falling out and had been cut off partially, leaving her bald in places. Her face had been smeared with something black and she was missing a leg.

"Want to see the kitchen?" Billy said, and Lyra nodded, following him out of the playroom and across the hall.

Lyra recognized Elizabeth and Johnathan immediately and they giggled when they looked up and saw her. In his excitement, Johnathan almost dropped a pot of water until an older boy caught it, glaring at Lyra as he did.

"Billy, get her out of here you're distracting them." The older boy snapped, placing the pot of water back on the stove.

"I'm just giving her a tour, Dennis." Billy replied testily.

"Well we're not here for her to gawk at." Dennis replied and Billy's face flushed with anger.

"Come on, Lyra." He said, pulling her out of the room and Lyra gladly left the room, wondering yet again what she had done that had been offensive.

"There's just the dinning room and study room left." Billy said, leading the way down the hall. Lyra peered into the room on her left and saw a long table filled with chairs and then crossed the hallway and looked in to a room filled with a few tables and a few kids drawing, reading, and doing homework.

"School isn't over?" Lyra asked, surprised.

"Your school finishes before ours." Billy replied simply and Lyra privately wondered what a Muggle school was like. She had always wanted to go but her mother had insisted her father could teach her everything she needed to know at home.

"Anyway, that's it." Billy said, smiling.

"It's great!" Lyra said and Billy laughed.

"You don't have to say it's great." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry," Lyra said, "I really don't know what to say, I'm not trying to offend anyone, I-"

"If you're referring to Dennis, ignore him." Billy said, "He assumed you'd be like Tom. I mean, I guess we all did...but you're not! Not at all." He said, reassuringly and Lyra frowned.

"What do you mean like Tom?" She asked, having a fairly good idea of what they meant but wanting to hear what he said anyway.

Billy hesitated and looked around at the little kids who had been listening to their conversation.

"Want to go for a walk?" He asked.


	39. You know who

**Thanks for the reviews Ai Star, Guest, MeriemDjez, Cassie-011 and 1emoncakes!**

 **I'm glad you liked Stevie, MeriemDjez, he will be protected :)**

 **Cassie-011, yup I did promise you some jealousy ;)**

 **Once again, this chapter was initially going to be longer and then it got too long and I had to split it into two parts. This just means that now there is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end and that you can expect the next chapter to be uploaded pretty soon since it's already half written!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

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Lyra stood waiting on the steps of the orphanage, shivering slightly, as Billy put on his coat and boots. Closing the door to the orphanage behind him, he led the way down the steps.

Lyra fiddled with her coat sleeves, wondering whether or not she should bring up the topic they had come out to discuss or whether she should wait for him. Unable to stand the awkward silence, Lyra decided to just go for it.

"So what did you mean I'm not like Tom?" Lyra blurted out and Billy's face flushed.

"Are you and him friends or...?" Billy asked, avoiding her question, and Lyra laughed humourlessly.

"Hardly. He's made it abundantly clear he does not like me." Lyra said bitterly.

"Well he doesn't really like anyone," Billy pointed out, "I wouldn't take it personally."

"I think I'd rather take it personally." Lyra said. "But anyway, what do you know about Tom?"

Billy hesitated, "Well, you see, I'm not really sure how much of what Mrs. Cole has said is true but well...she told us Tom goes to a school for children who are...mad...?"

Lyra stopped short, turning to stare at him, "Tom's not mad." She said, suddenly feeling incredibly defensive, "And neither am I."

Billy's face flushed beet red and he shook his head vehemently, "I know you're not, I can tell." He said quickly, "Mrs. Cole lies all the time, I'm never really sure when to believe her."

Lyra was silent for a moment, truly understanding for the first time why Tom hated it so much at the orphanage.

"Does everyone here think Tom is mad?" Lyra asked quietly, and Billy bit his lip.

"I'm not sure mad is the right word." Billy said, clearly hesitant to divulge something, "He's always been...different."

"Different." Lyra repeated, "Different how?"

"He can...make things happen." Billy said, "Or at least, he used to be able to. Ever since he started going to that school - your school - he hasn't really done anything too out of the ordinary, but before..."

"What do you mean make things happen?" Lyra asked, burning with curiosity.

"Well, the thing is, no one could ever really prove it was him but Tom used to do all sorts of things to get back at the kids who were mean to him. He'd steal their toys, set insects on them, set their bedsheets on fire, rot the food on their plate as they were eating it-"

"Rot the food on their plate?" Lyra asked, staring at Billy.

"Look I don't know how he did it. You can call me crazy but I have seen things you would not believe with my own eyes. Impossible things." Billy said, his voice shaking, "I don't know if Tom is mad but he is certainly not _normal_."

"I believe you." Lyra said quietly, "What else did he do?"

Billy bit his lip, "Well...you remember Amy? The girl who slammed her bedroom door on you?"

Lyra nodded, and Billy continued, "And you remember Dennis, the boy who was rude to you in the kitchen? Well, they used to pick on Tom all the time when we were younger. They'd pull his hair, push him around, steal his food and even Tom's usual tricks wouldn't deter them. In fact, they only seemed to make them more inclined to give him hell. So one day, when we were on holiday at the beach, Tom lured Amy and Dennis into this cave and I don't know what he did to them in there but after they came out, they weren't the same. It was months before either of them spoke a single word and close to a year before they stopped waking up screaming in the middle of the night. To this day they still refuse to speak to him, look at him, or be alone in a room with him. After that incident, none of the other kids ever dared cross Tom again."

"When was this?" Lyra asked, remembering when Dumbledore had told her this story.

"I think we were 9?" Billy said and Lyra shivered. This had likely occurred the summer before she'd first met Tom. She had never guessed he was capable of such things from their short visit together. Then again, she had never been bullied before. Would she have tried to scare them as well if she had been in Tom's shoes?

"Did he ever do anything to you?" Lyra asked and Billy's face fell.

"He murdered my rabbit," Billy said, a hint of resentment entering his voice for the first time. "Of course, I can't prove it was him, but I know it was."

"How do you know?" Lyra asked, feeling a shiver run down her spine. So Billy had been the one whose rabbit had been killed.

"The day before was Christmas." Billy explained, "Every year a charity gave us a basket full of toys and children's books and Mrs. Cole divided them among us. Usually Tom got something from the basket, even if it was usually the worst gift, but this year, Mrs. Cole decided he didn't deserve anything because of what he did to Amy and Dennis. So instead, I got two gifts and Tom got none. When Tom saw this on Christmas morning he just got up and left the room and hid in his bedroom for the rest of the day. The next morning, I found my bunny missing and so we searched the entire building until finally Jo found it in the attic, hanging from the rafters."

Lyra opened her mouth to say something but no words came out so she closed it again. "I'm sorry." She managed at last, to break the heavy silence that had descended on them.

Billy shrugged, "It doesn't matter anymore. It was a long time ago." He said, the tone of his voice indicating the exact opposite.

"Did you ever confront him about it?" Lyra asked and Billy shook his head.

"I didn't want to wind up hanging from the rafters too." He said and Lyra felt her hands begin to shake uncontrollably and it had nothing to do with the cold.

"Billy, I- I'm getting a little cold do you mind if we go back in?" Lyra lied, and Billy nodded.

"Of course. It'll be time for dinner soon anyway." He said, checking his watch.

Lyra walked quickly back to the orphanage, her arms wrapped around her and her mind racing a mile a minute.

"I'm going to just go back to my room and...read...for a bit before dinner." Lyra said as they slid off their boots in the entrance hall and Billy nodded, a look of concern on his face.

"I'm sorry if I sprung too much on you." He said and Lyra quickly shook her head.

"No, no, you didn't, don't worry." She said, forcing a tight-lipped smile, "I'll see you at dinner?"

Billy nodded and Lyra smiled once more before taking off up the stairs, her hands shaking on the bannister.

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When Billy and Lyra entered the dinning room just in time for dinner, the rest of the orphans had already taken their respective places and were waiting rather impatiently for Mrs. Cole to give the go-ahead to start eating. Lyra scanned the room, expecting to see Tom and frowned when she found him absent. Following Billy to the far side of the room, she took a seat next to him and Mrs. Cole immediately announced they may now eat.

Lyra stared at the empty seat at the end of the table that she assumed belonged to Tom and felt an unwelcome prickle of worry.

"Does Tom often skip meals?" Lyra asked Billy quietly, drawing looks from the surrounding children nonetheless.

Billy nodded, "He rarely comes to dinner the first day he gets back. Sometimes he skips lunch." He said, shrugging, and Lyra frowned.

"He doesn't do this at school." She said, more to herself than to anyone else.

"Is it true they hang you from the rafters as punishment at your school?" Jo asked, overhearing her.

Lyra nearly choked on her food as she burst out laughing, "Who told you that?" She asked when she could breathe enough to talk.

"Mrs. Cole." Jo replied, looking over at the matron out of the corner of her eye.

"Well it's not true." Lyra said, "Is it true you have rats and mould here?"

Jo gave Lyra a strange look, "Not typically, no." She said and Lyra laughed, thinking of Rosalie.

Lyra's laughter died in her throat when she caught sight of Amy and Dennis glaring at her from their spot across from her. Lyra lowered her eyes, wondering what she could do to let them know she was not going to hurt them.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I was a distraction earlier," Lyra said, looking at Dennis. Out of the two of them, he had been the less freaked out by her.

Lyra noticed Amy tense visibly at this, shooting Dennis nervous glances out of the corner of her eye.

"You shouldn't be here." Dennis said at last, his gaze icy, and Lyra felt both hurt and annoyed.

"Well I don't believe you get to make that call." She replied acerbically.

"Shut up, you creep." Amy hissed, and Lyra felt her temper flare.

"Amy, stop it." Billy said sharply.

"Amy, stop it." Amy imitated, mocking him, "Just because she's pretty, Billy, doesn't mean she's not one of _them_." She snapped.

"I'm sorry one of _who_ exactly?" Lyra asked, dryly.

"Enough with the innocent act already." Dennis snapped, "We know what you are. You're like him."

"Like who?" Lyra asked sharply, knowing full well who they were referring to and wanting them to say his name anyway.

"You know who." Dennis replied, glaring at her and Lyra raised an eyebrow. Here they were, decades before Tom would come to be known as You-Know-Who, and these two Muggles were already calling him that, completely oblivious to this fact. It was almost funny in a dark and twisted kind of way.

"What? Are you afraid to say his name?" She taunted, her anger erasing her previous desire to make peace with them.

"Hey why don't we all just calm down," Billy said, his face strained with worry, and Lyra noticed they had begun to attract a bit of notice. Some of the younger children were staring at them with wide eyes and Lyra blushed, looking down in embarrassment. She had not meant to create a scene on her first night there and scare all the children.

"Sorry, you're right." Lyra said, shaking her head and breaking eye contact with Amy, who was smirking at her now, seemingly happy to have worsened her reputation.

The rest of the dinner passed in comparatively normal conversation with Billy, Jo, and a 15 year-old girl named Susie and Lyra would have enjoyed herself if it weren't for the death glares Amy and Dennis continued to give her throughout the entire meal. By the time she pushed her plate away and stood up, she was quite fed up and excited by the prospect of escaping to her room.

"Well goodnight." Lyra said, realizing just how tired she was as she yawned. "Breakfast is at 8 tomorrow?"

Billy nodded, "Sleep well."

Lyra smiled, grateful that she seemed to at least have made one friend in this place. "You too." She said, turning to leave.

Getting ready for bed, Lyra hesitated before magically heating the terribly thin blanket on her bed. She wasn't technically allowed to use magic outside of school but seeing as she was an unregistered witch from the future, the trace wouldn't work on her. As far as the Ministry of Magic in the 1940s was concerned, she did not exist.

Crawling into bed, Lyra thought of the other orphans, wondering how they could stand to sleep in this building without a heated blanket and trying to think up ways to fix the problem. I could take a trip to Diagon Alley in the morning, Lyra thought to herself. She still had plenty of wizarding money left but no Muggle money so it would have to be Diagon Alley... Lyra's thoughts blurred together as she drifted off to sleep, mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted after the long day of travel and her somewhat stressful introduction to the orphanage.

Unsure of how much time had passed, Lyra woke up suddenly, her blanket suddenly feeling much too hot. Extinguishing the heating charm wordlessly, Lyra pushed the blanket off her only to realize it wasn't the blanket that was hot. It was her entire bed.

Flames leapt from the side of her mattress, licking the wooden bedframe and Lyra jumped out of bed, her heart pounding. Pointing her wand at her bed, she began frantically spraying water on the flames until they died. Coughing because of the smoke, Lyra stumbled towards the door, her mind reeling. _How_ had this happened? There had been no lamp or candle in her room when she'd gone to sleep, the only explanation was that someone had snuck in and purposefully _lit_ her bed on fire. Lyra felt a cold chill run down her spine and suddenly the darkness of the orphanage seemed much more ominous as she opened the door to her room and cautiously looked out into the hallway. Realizing the smoke was beginning to escape her room, Lyra quickly closed the door and stepped out into the hallway, unsure of what to do. Someone in this building had tried to kill her - or at least scare her. There was absolutely no way she was going back to sleep again tonight.

Tom...Lyra thought, staring at door number 19 in the dim light shining in from the only window in the hallway. Had he done this?

No, Lyra thought, it was unlikely seeing as he'd had plenty of opportunities to do worse to her and he never had...not to mention setting her bed on fire could potentially result in her death in which case his secrets would be exposed. Still, this was Lord Voldemort...

Suddenly, an ear splitting scream filled her ears and Lyra screamed in shock, turning around to see that the door to her room had been opened once more. Lyra ran into the smoke-filled room, coughing as she did, to find Amy on her bed, her hands and legs tied to the bedframe, soaked in water and a gloating smirk on her face. Confused, Lyra whipped around to see Dennis, an identical smirk on his face, and an empty pail of water in his hands.

"Goodbye freak." He whispered before the sound of doors opening in the hallway could be heard and Dennis began screaming.


	40. I forgive you

**Thanks for the reviews Guest, ElinorSinclair, MeriemDjez, Elle Light, Ai Star, and Cassie-011! I can't express how happy your reviews make me :)**

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you guys enjoy reading it! Can't believe it's already chapter 40 :0 This is the longest story I've ever written...**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

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"HELP! SHE TRIED TO KILL AMY! HELP!" He screamed and Lyra felt her heart stop as Amy began to whimper and the other orphans crowded around the door, their small faces terrified.

Lyra stumbled backwards, "I- I- didn't, they, he-, she-, I-"

"What is the meaning of this!?" Mrs. Cole cried, pushing through the crowd of children, her eyes widening in horror at the sight in front of her.

"Mrs. Cole, Lyra tried to kill Amy!" Dennis said frantically, "She tied her to the bed and then set fire to it. I heard her scream and threw water on the bed to put it out but-"

"No, no, I didn't, no-" Lyra pleaded, but her words were drowned out by the sound of Amy letting out a loud wail and thrashing about on the bed, trying to get out of the rope.

Mrs. Cole turned to Lyra, a look of pure hatred on her face and the colour drained from Lyra's face, her hands shaking in terror. Before she knew what was happening, Mrs. Cole grabbed her by the arm, hauling her out of the room so fast that Lyra stumbled and fell, scrapping her knee. Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to her feet, staring at the faces of the terrified orphans around her. They were looking at her as if she were a monster, a freak, like Dennis had said.

"You are leaving tonight!" Mrs. Cole snarled, dragging her down the hallway, "I don't care where you go but you can't stay here. If you ever try to come back I will call the police. In fact, I will call the police right now and you can explain to _them_ what you have done you-"

"I didn't do it!" Lyra cried, tears falling genuinely now, "I woke up and my bed was on fire. I went out into the hallway to see-"

"Shut up!" Mrs. Cole interrupted her but Lyra continued anyway.

"To see who did it and they must have already been in my room because the next thing I knew I heard a scream and-"

"SHUT UP!" Mrs. Cole screamed, pulling her hair and throwing her to the floor and Lyra cried out in pain as her head hit the ground hard.

Lyra struggled to a sitting position, trying to inch away from the woman when a sudden crack resounded and none other than Albus Dumbledore appeared in the middle of the hallway. Lyra did a double take, wondering just how hard she hit her head when Tom emerged out of the shadows behind Dumbledore and their eyes met.

"Is this how you treat children in your care!?" Dumbledore said, rounding on Mrs. Cole, anger and sheer power emanating from him in a way Lyra had never seen before.

Mrs. Cole's eyes widened in fear as she stared up at Dumbledore, who towered over her by almost a foot. "With all due respect sir, this girl tried to kill another child!" Mrs. Cole cried, pointing at Lyra, who was still on the ground, her head throbbing painfully. "How did you- I mean, where did you come from, how did you-" Mrs. Cole stuttered and Dumbledore cut her off.

"Never mind all that. What is it you say this girl did?" Dumbledore asked, clearly trying very hard to retain his calm.

"She tied Amy to her bed and set the bed on fire!" Mrs. Cole cried and Lyra opened her mouth to protest when to her great surprise, Tom spoke.

"That is a lie." He said sharply, and Mrs. Cole turned to him.

"This does not concern you, Tom." She snapped and Tom merely glared at her, his dark eyes shooting daggers.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment before looking down at Lyra, "Is this indeed a lie as Tom maintains it is?" Dumbledore asked, and Lyra nodded vehemently.

"I was asleep and then I woke up and found my bed on fire. I poured some water on it to put it out and then went out into the hallway to see if I could find who did it but I didn't see anyone. Then all of a sudden the door to my room opened and I heard Amy screaming and I ran back into the room and she was on my bed, tied up with water all over her and she was _smiling_ at me!" Lyra cried, "I turned around and saw Dennis and then he started screaming I tried to kill her! But I didn't, I swear!" Lyra finished, tears rolling down her cheeks despite her attempts to hold them back.

"Very well, Tom take Lyra down to the office. Where are Amy and Dennis? I want them to come as well. You too, Mrs. Cole." Dumbledore said and Mrs. Cole turned to him in astonishment.

"Who do you think you are, coming here in the dead of night and telling me what to do in my own orphanage?" She cried, outraged but Dumbledore merely returned her gaze and she faltered, shaking her head and muttered obscenities under her breath.

Lyra watched Tom watch the exchange with a look of vindictive triumph before coming over to where she was still on the ground. Lyra struggled to climb to her feet as he approached, but her vision swam in front of her eyes and she heard a ringing in her eyes and fell back down again.

"Reed, hold onto me." Tom said and Lyra did as she was told, her mind reeling a mile a minute. Why was Tom of all people helping her? Why had he stood up for her? And why was Dumbledore here? How had he gotten here so quickly and who had sent for him? Tom, of course, was the only person who could have, but the thought of Tom willingly calling on Dumbledore to protect her was so absurd it made her feel even more dizzy than she already did.

Putting her arm around Tom's shoulder, he helped her to her feet and Lyra stood leaning against him for a moment until her vision cleared and the ringing subsided, leaving only a terrible pounding in her head.

"I'm fine." She muttered, trying to disengage herself from his arms. "I'm fine."

Tom snorted, "Are you going to be able to walk down the stairs?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow and Lyra nodded taking a cautious step forward and feeling the pain in her head intensify with every movement.

"I can do it, my head just hurts." She said, walking slowly towards the stairs.

Tom followed along beside her closely, catching her as her vision swam again and she stumbled on the first step. "Clearly you can't." Tom stated dryly, holding on to her tightly as she glared at him and tried to continue down the stairs, her vision returning to normal once again.

After what seemed an eternity, they reached the bottom of the steps and Tom led Lyra into what she presumed was Mrs. Cole's office - a room Billy had neglected to show her on the tour. As soon as they reached the office, Tom sat her down in a chair and immediately let go of her, stepping away from her. Lyra put her throbbing head in her hands, willing the pain to stop.

Hearing voices, Lyra looked up to see Dumbledore, Mrs. Cole, Amy, and Dennis enter the office. Amy and Dennis were looking absolutely terrified and Mrs. Cole was still muttered obscenities under her breath. Dumbledore closed the door behind them, his expression grim.

"Lyra, may I see your wand." Dumbledore said, holding out his hand and Lyra stared at him in shock, looking from him to the Muggles and back.

Dumbledore sighed, understanding her confusion, "Lyra, they are aware of the existence of magic."

Lyra turned to stare at Amy, Dennis, and Mrs. Cole, and the three Muggles glared back at her. Pulling her wand out of the pocket of her nightgown, Lyra handed it to Dumbledore and watched as he held it up.

" _Priori incantatem_." Dumbledore said quietly and Lyra watched as an silvery jet of immaterial water emerged from her wand, disappearing into thin air, instantly.

Dumbledore nodded, turning back to Mrs. Cole, Amy and Dennis. "It is possible to check which spell a wand performed last." He explained, "Lyra's wand most recently used the _Aguamenti_ charm - a charm that conjures water. Can either of you," Dumbledore said, fixing Amy and Dennis intently, "Explain to me why Lyra would use a water conjuring charm when she was trying to burn Amy alive?"

Amy and Dennis shook their heads mutely, their faces white as a sheet.

"Well then, can either of you tell me what really happened tonight?" Dumbledore asked and once again, the two of them remained silent, looking terrified.

"Alright then," Dumbledore said sighing. Handing back Lyra's wand to her, he stepped in front of Amy and pulled out a vial of silver liquid. "Amy, would you please drink this for me." Dumbledore said, and Amy's eyes widened until Lyra thought they might pop out of her head.

"Is it poison!?" She cried, staring at the vial in horror.

"No, it is veritaserum." Dumbledore said patiently, "It will make you unable to tell a lie."

Lyra stared at him in shock. In her own day and age, it would have been unthinkable to administer veritaserum to a Muggle. Then again, she did have a vague memory of Mr. Binns telling the class that rules surrounding Muggles had only really been tightened after the defeat of Grindelwald.

"How do I know it's not poison." Amy asked frantically and Dumbledore sighed, taking a sip of the potion himself. "There," He said, "You see I am fine. It is not poisonous and that is the truth. I am incapable of lying."

Her hands shaking, Amy gingerly accepted the vial and put it to her lips, drinking it slowly. When she had finished, Dumbledore took back the vial and replaced it inside the pocket of his robes.

"Now, Amy, what really happened tonight?" He asked and tears swelled in Amy's eyes.

"Dennis and I went into the kitchen and stole a box of matches and some string." Amy blurted out, her eyes widening as she realized she truly was unable to stop herself from spilling all her secrets. "Then we snuck into Lyra's bedroom and set her bed on fire and hid in her wardrobe until she woke up and put out the flames. As soon as she left the room, Dennis quickly tied me to the bed with the string and dumped a bucket of water on me. Then I screamed and Lyra came running back in and Dennis started screaming that Lyra had tried to kill me."

Amy lapsed into tears, putting her face in her hands, "We just wanted her gone!" She cried, "She's like _him_!" Amy cried, pointing a finger accusingly at Tom, "We just wanted her to leave!"

Dumbledore put a hand on Amy's shoulder and Amy tensed immediately, her breathing rapid and shallow. Realizing he was only scaring her more, Dumbledore removed his hand and sighed, turning to face Mrs. Cole, who was staring from Amy to Lyra and back in shock.

"I trust you will deal with this matter appropriately?" Dumbledore said, and Mrs. Cole nodded mutely.

"Very well." Dumbledore said nodding, before turning to Tom.

"Thank you," He said, his blue eyes meeting Tom's dark brown ones, "For alerting me."

Lyra stared at him in shock. So Tom had been the one to call Dumbledore? It made no sense at all...he hated Dumbledore and he hated her...

Tom made no reply and Dumbledore turned to Lyra, smiling gently. "I'm so very sorry your first night here turned out the way it did. I trust Mrs. Cole will set you up in a new bedroom immediately," He said, shooting Mrs. Cole a glance as he did.

"Professor, I think I have a concussion." Lyra said, and Dumbledore nodded.

"In that case, Tom, you will go to the apothecary in Diagon Alley tomorrow and purchase this root." Dumbledore said, pulling a piece of parchment and quill out of the pocket of his robes and writing down a word on the piece of parchment. Handing the parchment to Tom, Dumbledore pocketed his quill and turned back to Lyra.

"Ingest the root with your breakfast tomorrow and you should be feeling better in no time." Dumbledore said and Lyra nodded.

"Professor..." Tom said, clearly reluctant to say whatever he wanted to say, "I have no money." He ground out.

"Forgive me, Tom, this should cover it." Dumbledore said, handing Tom a few galleons and sickles. "Now, I really must be going. You will contact me if you need anything else?" He asked Tom and Lyra and Lyra nodded. Tom merely stared at the money in his hand and then pocketed it.

"Wonderful, I wish you all a good night's sleep although I can't imagine it will be easy to come by." Dumbledore said with a smile before turning on the spot and disappearing with another resounding crack.

Mrs. Cole, Amy and Dennis jumped and Lyra and Tom exchanged a look. Lyra was burning to ask him why he had called Dumbledore but the sound of Amy's crying made her feel a surge of pity for the girl. She had tried to get Lyra kicked out of the orphanage because she was terrified. And she had good reason to be too, Lyra thought. Growing up with Lord Voldemort was a genuine reason to be afraid of magic, and yet...Lyra looked back at Tom and she felt the hatred she had harboured for him over the past few weeks melt away. He had been scared too. He had taken Amy and Dennis into that cave because they had been terrorizing him.

"Come on." Mrs. Cole said, crossing her arms, "It's time we all went back to bed."

Tom turned to stare at her, a dark look forming on his face, "You are not going to punish them?" He asked, "Even after all they did?"

"Riddle, it's fine-" Lyra began but Tom cut her off, furious.

"They set fire to her bed because she was a witch." Tom snarled, glaring at Mrs. Cole, "They framed her for attempted murder and then you gave her a concussion and at the end of all this, you want us to just forget about it?"

Mrs. Cole made no reply, simply returning the glare Tom was giving her before turning on her heel and leaving. Tom watched her go, a look of pure fury on his face, and Amy and Dennis quickly scurried out of the room after their matron, leaving Tom and Lyra alone.

* * *

Tom was livid.

After going through the trouble of calling Dumbledore for help - something he'd sworn to himself he'd never do - Amy and Dennis had still gotten away without being punished. Tom clenched his fists subconsciously, trying to remain calm.

"Riddle, it's okay." Lyra said and Tom turned to her, staring at her incredulously. In what world were any of tonight's events _okay_?

"It's okay!?" He snarled, "How is any of this fair?"

"I never knew you used words like fair." Lyra said, smirking slightly and Tom merely glared at her.

"Riddle, how did you alert Dumbledore so quickly?" Lyra asked and Tom groaned internally.

He'd known this question would come up and he had absolutely no intention of answering. Lyra Reed never had to know about the coin Dumbledore had given him that could be pressed in emergency circumstances to send for help. Dumbledore had always known the orphanage was terrible, despite Tom's absolute refusal to tell him anything at all about what went on inside its walls, and he had given Tom the coin when he'd returned home for summer break after his first year at Hogwarts. Tom, of course, had vowed to never use the coin - asking for and accepting help from Dumbledore of all people was, in Tom's mind, worse than anything the Muggles could do to him. But if it wasn't him who needed help but Lyra...well that presented him with the perfect opportunity to teach the Muggles a lesson.

Tom shook his head, hoping she would drop it, "I'm going to bed."

"No, wait, Riddle, why did you call him?" Lyra pressed, and Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"Reed, would you just shut up." Tom sighed, "I am tired and I need to go to Diagon Alley tomorrow to get your medication or Dumbledore will think I stole his money."

When Dumbledore had first given him the money he had considered doing just that. However, he had soon realized that if he stole the money and made Lyra pay for her own medication, she would be sure to tell Dumbledore. He really could not afford for Dumbledore to have yet more proof that he was untrustworthy.

"You don't have to go," Lyra said, shaking her head, "I'll go, just give me the money."

Tom snorted at this, "Reed, you could barely get down the stairs. You're not going to Diagon Alley."

Lyra stared at him incredulously, looking completely and utterly confused. "You hate me." She said and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"So?" He asked.

"So then why didn't you let Mrs. Cole kick me out instead of calling Dumbledore, who you _also_ hate, and going out of your way to get me medication?" Lyra asked.

Tom hesitated, unsure of how to answer her question. The truth would simply make her angry but she would be able to see through any lie he gave. Once again, he chose to evade the question.

"It's not out of my way, I would rather be in Diagon Alley than here." Tom replied, truthfully, "Besides, Dumbledore would be furious if he knew I didn't go."

"How would he find out though?" Lyra asked and Tom shot her a withering look.

"You would tell him, of course." He snapped and Lyra rolled her eyes, looking irritated.

"Well I'm at least coming with you then." Lyra said, "There are some things I need to pick up."

Tom sighed in annoyance, "What things?" He asked dryly.

"Blankets." Lyra said and Tom frowned at her in confusion.

"Blankets?" He repeated.

"It's cold." Lyra explaining, shrugging, "Look, let's go after breakfast. I'm already feeling better, it's just a headache now."

Tom sighed, nodding. After four months of going to school with her, he knew she would just follow him anyway even if he refused to let her come.

"Riddle..." Lyra said, looking as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how, "...thank you." She said at last and Tom suddenly wanted to leave the room even more than before.

"I didn't do it for you." He said quickly, and to his surprise Lyra nodded.

"I know." She said, "You did it because Amy and Dennis are horrible. I know that's why you took them into the cave too." Lyra said and Tom suddenly felt very exposed.

Evidently, Billy hadn't wasted any time telling her about him. He had heard Billy introduce himself to her in the hallway and she had seen them go on a walk together from his bedroom window, probably exchanging stories about him, and Tom felt a spark of rage ignite inside him at the memory. For some reason, the thought of "perfect" Billy Stubbs cozying up to Lyra made Tom's skin crawl and he glared at Lyra. Of course she would be charmed by Billy... _everyone_ was charmed by Billy. But still, Tom felt a strange sense of betrayal at the thought of Lyra spending time with him. Lyra was a _witch_ , she was like him...she shouldn't be getting along with any of the Muggles, especially not Billy.

"What did Stubbs tell you?" He asked, unable to contain himself. A part of him wanted to leave the room and forget about this but another part of him wanted to know every word that had been said about him when he wasn't around.

Lyra looked uncomfortable and Tom felt his hatred for Billy increase, "Not much, mainly about the cave and the bunny and...well you know nothing, really, that Dumbledore didn't already tell me except the reasons why you did it...did everything..." Lyra stammered.

"You need to go to bed." Tom said, having had enough of this conversation. Perhaps it was actually better to not know every word that had been said about him.

Lyra gave him a strange look, but nodded, and to Tom's relief began walking towards the door. She made it as far as the doorframe before freezing and turning around, a look on her face Tom had never seen before.

"I know you hate me and think I betrayed you and everything..." She said, and Tom opened his mouth to interrupt her words stopped him, "But I think I might be starting to... to forgive you for...for everything." Lyra said and Tom stared at her in utter bewilderment, a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"And I know you probably don't care whether I forgive you or you might even be thinking what's to forgive or...I don't know." Lyra continued quickly, "But I wanted to let you know because you saved me tonight. I don't care what your reasons were, I don't care if they were selfish, I just want you to know I'm grateful. And as for what Billy told me, I understand...I understand why you did what you did and I think that if I were in your shoes, maybe I would have done the same. And when I said I didn't care if you died finding the Deathly Hallows, that wasn't true, I was just upset because Riddle, you're a really, truly, a terrible friend - actually you're not really a friend at all - but that doesn't mean you're inherently evil and I just thought you should know that I forgive you...well mostly...mainly...I'm working on it." Lyra stammered, running out of breath as she finished her tirade, her cheeks pink.

Tom stood still, rooted to the spot, unable to formulate a sentence as his mind rapidly dissected her words, trying to make sense of them...of her. For once, he didn't immediately assume it was a ploy or a trick...it was simply too poorly executed and she was too emotional. For not the first time, he stared at Lyra, confused. She was strange, she was genuine, she was...kind...and Tom felt a strange feeling of vindictive satisfaction knowing that despite Billy's best efforts, his words had done nothing but bring Lyra closer to him. Not that he wanted her close to him, Tom reminded himself, but it was satisfying to know that Billy had been unable to charm her into hating him. He had tried to kill her, he had pushed her away, he had betrayed her, and he had cut her out completely and she had repaid him with what? Kindness, forgiveness...?

"Riddle?" Lyra asked and Tom was brought back to reality, realizing he'd been silent for far too long.

"Where are you going to sleep?" He asked, unable to think of anything else to say, "Mrs. Cole didn't give you another room."

Lyra was silent for a moment, "I'll sleep on the couch." She said at last, shrugging, and Tom shook his head, feeling annoyed at Mrs. Cole once again. Lyra was too kind to survive in this orphanage, he realized. The Muggles didn't fear her the way they did him and she was letting them abuse her.

"Number 17 is empty." Tom said, "Go sleep there."

Lyra nodded, "Okay, thanks." She said and the two stood staring at one another in silence for a moment. The weight of unspoken words hanging between them.

"Can you walk up the stairs by yourself?" Tom asked and Lyra nodded.

Tom ignored her, taking her arm in his, "I don't believe you." He said, leading her towards the stairs and to his surprise, Lyra let him.


	41. Diagon Alley

**Thanks once again for the reviews Elle Light, MeriemDjez, AlexisDumbee, Beaniebun, Sabcal, Ai Star, and Cassie-011!**

 **Cassie-011, I was tempted to have Tom suggest that she stay in his room but then I was worried that that would be too out of character since Tom really likes his personal space. However, it would have been cute!**

 **Beaniebun, Lyra doesn't know what a Horcrux is or that Tom has made any. This will become an issue later in the story though...**

 **Elle Light, yeah I wanted this story to show Tom wasn't just born evil but he was made evil by the circumstances of his life and how he reacted to them.**

 **MeriemDjez, don't worry, I made sure Stevie wasn't afraid :)**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

When her alarm clock went off at quarter to 8 the next morning, Lyra groaned out loud, wishing for nothing more than to stay in bed all day. It had taken her hours to fall asleep after the incident even though she had made sure to not only lock her door but also put up magical wards for extra protection. Her mind had been too full of thoughts to sleep and the throbbing pain coming from the back of her head had done nothing to help the situation.

Lyra sighed, forcing her eyelids open. She needed to get up and go to Diagon Alley with Tom; she had sworn to herself she would the previous night. The incident had taught her nothing if not that the Muggles in this orphanage needed to be shown that magic wasn't all bad. Since Tom was definitely not going to be the one to show them the good side of magic, she had decided she would. Of course, Lyra assumed many of the children, especially the younger and newer ones, were not aware of the existence of the magical world and she intended to keep it that way. However, for the older children who had grown up with Tom and who had _seen_ his magic with their own eyes...Lyra intended to let them know magic did not have to be as dark as Tom made it seem.

And then there was the matter of Tom himself.

Lyra closed her eyes again as she thought of him. He had been so kind and so _caring_ last night. Even if he had called Dumbledore for the satisfaction of seeing Amy and Dennis punished, he had still gone out of his way to help her up the stairs and get her medication. If someone had told her four months ago that the red-eyed and merciless Lord Voldemort would one day demonstrate such kindness she would have thought they were mad. Then again, Tom Riddle wasn't yet Lord Voldemort...no matter how adamantly he claimed he was.

As her alarm clock went off for the second time, Lyra groaned once more and switched it off. Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Lyra got ready in a semi-zombie state, almost forgetting to tuck her wand into her sweater pocket, before leaving the room and locking the door behind her.

Feeling suddenly very nervous about how the other children would receive her at breakfast after the events of last night, Lyra tiptoed quickly over to Tom's room and knocked.

No reply came and Lyra was about to give up and brave the breakfast without him when the door swung open and a semi-irritated-looking Tom appeared.

"You're awake." He said dryly, sounding slightly surprised.

"I said I was coming with you to Diagon Alley, of course I'm awake." Lyra replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and Tom's lips curled into a slight smirk.

"Let me guess, you came to get me because you were afraid to go down to breakfast alone after what happened last night." He said and Lyra felt her cheeks blush despite her best intentions.

"I just came to make sure you were up and hadn't left yet." Lyra lied, and Tom raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening.

"So if I said I didn't want breakfast...you'd go down there by yourself?" Tom asked and Lyra rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes, I would." She said, "Now are you coming or not?"

Tom hesitated, clearly enjoying her discomfort, "Well now that I think about it, I am not particularly hungry and-"

"Hey Lyra, how are you feeling?" Billy asked and Lyra whipped around, jumping at the sound of his voice. Beside her Tom shut his mouth and the smirk on his face was immediately replaced by a sour expression of dislike.

Lyra stared at him, daring to hope he didn't hate her. "I'm fine." She said, hesitating, "Do you- do you know what happened last night?"

Billy nodded, his cheeks blushing unexpectedly, "I kind of...eavesdropped on the conversation you had last night in Mrs. Cole's office. I know Amy and Dennis framed you and set your bed on fire and put the fire out using some kind of...magic?" He asked, looking from Lyra to Tom and back for confirmation.

"You never did know when to mind your own business, did you Stubbs?" Tom said.

Billy's face darkened and Lyra quickly jumped in, trying to diffuse the tension, "I'm glad you did actually." She said, "Now you know the truth. That's a huge relief."

"Yes, now your precious reputation is saved." Tom sneered, "You don't have to be afraid of going to breakfast anymore."

"I wasn't afraid! I just wanted to find out where you were!" Lyra cried, rounding on him, annoyed at the way he was speaking to her. He had been in a relatively good mood until Billy had shown up and now he was taking out his hatred for Billy on _her_ for some reason.

"Riddle, stop annoying her, she has a concussion." Billy said and Tom turned to give him an icy look.

"I don't remember you caring about her concussion much last night." Tom said coolly.

"Riddle-" Lyra began but Billy cut her off, his cheeks turning red.

"I didn't even know what was going on." Billy said defensively, "If I'd known-"

"Of course you didn't know." Tom sneered, "There are a lot of things you don't know, aren't there, Stubbs."

"Let's go to breakfast." Lyra said desperately, but the two boys ignored her, glaring at each other.

"You just think you're brilliant don't you, Riddle?" Billy snarled and Tom laughed darkly.

"Well I'm going even if neither of you are." Lyra said, making her way towards the stairs.

"Sorry Lyra, I'm coming." Billy said, shooting Tom one last dark look before following her down the stairs. To Lyra's surprise, she heard Tom close his door behind him and follow them down the stairs, the tension between the three of them nearly palpable.

"How's your head?" Billy asked as they walked and Lyra shrugged.

"It hurts but it's not bad." She replied, glancing out of the corner of her eye at Tom, "Our professor told us where to buy this root that will cure it-"

"You mean like a magical root?" Billy asked, his eyes lighting up with interest and Lyra hesitated. She felt weird speaking to a Muggle about magic after having been told all her life that it was forbidden to do so.

"Yeah," She said, nodding, "Kind of. It's just not one that Muggles use or know about."

"What are Muggles?" Billy asked and Lyra laughed, realizing just how much explaining she'd have to do. Lyra shot an amused glance at Tom but her smile faded when she noticed he did not seem to be amused at all. Instead, he seemed to be slipping into a truly foul mood.

"Non-magical people like you." Lyra said, "We call them Muggles."

"What do you call yourselves?" Billy asked as they entered the dinning room and Tom took a sharp turn to the left, distancing himself from them. Lyra hesitated, wondering whether she should follow him, but as Billy took a seat and gestured for her to sit with him, Lyra tore her eyes away from Tom and slipped into the seat next to Billy.

"Lyra, hi," Ruth said somewhat shyly, coming up behind her, "We just wanted to let you know that Billy told us everything last night and we know it was all Amy and Dennis's fault and we hope you're okay. We made you this card and we hope you don't leave because of what happened." Ruth said, holding out a handmade card covered in messy children's signatures and drawings.

"I gave everyone my pencil crayons!" Stevie cried, running up to stand beside Ruth. "And my paper too!"

Lyra stared at the younger children, suddenly overcome with emotion. "That is so sweet of you, thank you so much." She said, accepting the card and opening it to see a drawing of a girl with long yellow hair.

"See, I even drew you too!" Stevie said, pointing at the picture of the girl.

Lyra felt tears prick at her eyes and she quickly opened her arms, giving Ruth and Stevie a hug as she thanked them. As soon as she began the hug more children got up from their seats and ran to throw them arms around her until she was at the center of a giant group hug. As the children dispersed, Lyra looked over at Billy, realizing it was all thanks to him that the children didn't hate her.

"Thank you so much." She said, giving him a hug as well.

Pulling out of the hug, Lyra remembered Tom and turned to see what he thought of the whole scene only to find that he was gone, his breakfast left unfinished.

* * *

"Riddle?" Lyra asked for the third time, pounding on his bedroom door. "If you don't come out right now I'm leaving."

She had a strong suspicion he had already left and gone to Diagon Alley without her but she didn't want to go track him down until knowing for sure that he wasn't still in the orphanage.

Receiving no response, Lyra sighed, feeling a surge of annoyance. Tom had always been this rude with her but for some reason she had thought that after last night, things would be different. In fact, he had been perfectly pleasant...well for Tom Riddle standards...before Billy had arrived. Lyra stared at his closed door, a wild and impossible thought entering her mind. Could he possibly be _jealous_ of Billy? Or was he afraid that now that she was not going to be an outcast at the orphanage like he was, she would leave him and go off with the other orphans? Both options seemed unlikely and Lyra quickly pushed them out of her mind. He had probably just been waiting for a moment to escape without her.

Feeling her temper flare, Lyra marched back down the stairs, ready to find Tom and give him an earful.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, peeking at her from the doorway to the dining room as she put on her shoes.

"To get some medicine for my head." Lyra said, replacing the look of angry determination she had been wearing with a smile.

"Can I come with you?" Bonnie asked, her eyes lighting up.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cole wouldn't allow it." Lyra said, "I'll see you later though, maybe we can play a game."

Bonnie nodded, placated, and Lyra smiled at her before slipping out the front door and nearly running down the front steps. Tom was probably already in Diagon Alley by now and Lyra had a feeling that if he didn't want to be found, he would be perfectly capable of hiding from her. Shaking her head, Lyra realized it was insane to even _want_ to go to Diagon Alley with him. He wasn't exactly pleasant company, after all. Perhaps he had done her a favour by ditching her.

Reaching the Leaky Cauldron, Lyra pushed open the door and passed through the secret passage into Diagon Alley, feeling a rush of happiness as she did so. After her night from hell, it was comforting to see a familiar place.

Lyra began wandering down the cobblestone street, watching the witches and wizards do their daily shopping, and suddenly felt nostalgic for the times her parents had brought her here to shop for school supplies for Hogwarts. Astoria and her would always spend hours in the Magical Menagerie, looking at owls and cats, since neither of them were actually allowed to own pets. Lyra thought fondly of Button, wishing she could have brought her knarl with her to London. Unfortunately, bringing a wild magical creature to a Muggle orphanage in wartime London was not exactly the best idea.

Spotting the Apothecary, Lyra entered the shop, making a beeline for the counter.

"I'm sorry, sir," Lyra asked the old man behind the desk, "Did a boy with dark brown hair come in here today and buy a...a root? One to help with concussions?" Lyra asked, realizing she didn't even know the name of the root she needed because Tom still had the piece of parchment.

The old man scrunched his bushy eyebrows together, thinking, "Bertha?" He asked, yelling in the direction of an old woman who was restocking the shelves. "Anyone buy the Quidditch Player's Relief today?"

"No Harold, what do you want to know that for?" The old woman called back and Lyra nodded.

"Can I buy some then?" Lyra asked, rummaging around in her bag for some coins as the old man turned around and placed a few pieces of silvery-looking root into a tub for her.

"One galleon and two sickles." The old man said and Lyra was about to pay for it when another hand came out from behind her and slapped the coins on the counter. Lyra jumped, turning around to see Tom behind her.

"Riddle, what are you doing here?" Lyra asked, staring at him in shock.

"What does it look like I am doing?" He retorted, grabbing the tub of silver root and turning to leave. Lyra followed him out of the store, utterly annoyed and baffled by his behaviour.

"You left without me." Lyra snapped, pulling the root out of his hands, "I didn't even know what the root was called because you took the parchment and-"

"I told you I would buy the root, you didn't have to come." Tom snapped.

Lyra opened her mouth to respond but no words came out and she closed it again.

"Well as pleasant as this has been-" Tom began, but Lyra cut him off.

"You don't like that they like me." Lyra said, staring at him as she realized the truth of her words.

Tom snorted, "Reed, I had things to do."

"You didn't even finish breakfast." Lyra continued, ignoring him, "You just got up and left."

Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, turning to leave, "You didn't eat dinner last night either." Lyra realized out loud, "Riddle, you need to eat. Let's go get ice cream or something, I barely ate anything after I realized you had left so I'm hungry too."

Tom sighed, "Reed, I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything since we left Hogwarts." Lyra protested, staring at him, worry etched on her face.

Tom glanced over at the ice cream shop, his face betraying the tiniest hint of desire, before he looked back at her and raised an eyebrow, "Don't you have to go buy blankets or something?"

"I need to eat this root with something first." Lyra said, "And if I eat it wrong and I die Dumbledore will blame you. So you'd better come with me."

"If you eat it wrong? How is that even possible?" Tom asked, looking at her as if she were a first class idiot.

"Who knows, but we'd better not risk it." Lyra said, smirking as she inched towards Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, "I'll even pay for your ice cream."

Tom hesitated before sighing, "Fine." He said, "But then you're leaving me alone."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Sure, whatever you like." She said, grinning as she lead the way into the ice cream shop.

A very young Florean Fortescue, who didn't look a day older than them, was standing behind the counter and smiled brightly when they entered. Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine as she remembered the way his shop had looked after the Death Eaters had dragged him off. Now, she was buying his future murderer ice cream in his own shop.

"What can I get for you?" Florean asked, shaking Lyra out of her dark thoughts.

"Hmm," Lyra hummed, looking over the flavours, "Can I get maple nut?"

"Absolutely," Florean said, grinning at her before turning to Tom, "And for you sir?"

"Chocolate truffle." Tom said, putting on the kind of polite smile Lyra hadn't seen on his face since he'd left Hogwarts.

"Got it." Florean said, beginning to scoop the ice cream as Lyra placed the money to pay for the ice cream plus a generous tip for his future hardships at the hands of Lord Voldemort on the counter.

"Thank you." Florean said, taking the money and handing them their ice creams and Lyra smiled meekly, wondering what he would think of them if he knew the future the way she did.

Tom led the way out of the shop and Lyra followed, licking her ice cream as she went.

"I need to pick up some blankets and other things." Lyra said, spotting a vendor selling all sorts of blankets, pillows, and cloth materials.

"Why don't you just heat your blankets with magic?" Tom asked, following her as she walked over to the vendor. So much for leaving him alone, Lyra thought.

"They're not for me." Lyra replied, "They're for the Muggle kids."

At this, Tom stopped and stared at her, "You're buying the Muggles blankets?" He asked sharply and Lyra shot him a so-what look.

"How many children live in the orphanage?" Lyra asked, ignoring his question.

"Reed you can't seriously be thinking of buying them all blankets." Tom said and Lyra laughed.

"Riddle, it's freezing in there. I'm surprised no one's getting sick." Lyra replied and Tom snorted.

"They do. They even die sometimes." He said dismissively and Lyra stared at him in shock before beginning to pile blankets into her arms, nearly dropping her ice cream in the process.

"I'm just going to get 20, I know the numbers don't go up past that anyway." Lyra said, struggling to keep the blankets from falling out of her arms as she tried to pile yet more on.

"Reed, what are you-" Tom began, catching a blanket as it fell, "Are you a witch or not?" He asked, and Lyra froze before laughing.

Shoving the blankets back onto the cart, Lyra took out her wand and levitated a large pile of blankets in front of her, grinning at the look Tom was giving her as she floated them over to the cash register. The witch behind the counter stared at the pile, her eyes as wide as saucers, as Lyra let the blankets fall on the counter.

"I'll take them all." She said, grinning at the look on the witch's face.

"Reed, how much does this cost?" Tom asked, as she shoved the blankets into a small bag she had brought and magically charmed to be much larger on the inside than on the outside.

Lyra shrugged, "Doesn't matter." She said, thanking the stunned witch and turning around to look for Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop.

"How rich were your parents?" Tom asked, still staring at her in shock and Lyra laughed, never having thought Tom cared about money. Then again, he was Slytherin and all Slytherins craved power. What gave more power to a person than money? Aside from, you know, the Dark Arts, Lyra thought silently.

"I'm going to go in here for a minute." Lyra said, pointing at the joke shop and Tom frowned.

"Why?" He asked, suspiciously.

"To buy Amy and Dennis some luminous balloons." Lyra replied, trying to keep from smiling as Tom reacted just the way she had expected him to.

"You're what?" He asked, grabbing her arm and pulling her around to face him.

"I'm buying Amy and Dennis luminous balloons." Lyra repeated, unable to keep a laughing smile from spreading across her face at the look of confusion and horror on Tom's face.

"You're joking." He said and Lyra laughed.

"No, I swear I'm not." She said, "I was thinking about what I could get them to show them that magic isn't all that bad and there's nothing better than luminous balloons. They can use them as decoration, they can't destroy them or hurt anyone with them, and there's absolutely no reason why they should be scared of them."

"Reed, I can't tell if you're joking but if you are please stop." Tom snapped and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"I'm not joking, Riddle." She said, pulling her arm out of his grasp and entering the shop.

Tom followed closely behind, a look of bewilderment on his face. Lyra stopped in front of the display of luminous balloons and picked out two, holding them by their strings.

"You are not getting those for them." Tom said and Lyra merely smiled back at him.

"Yes, I am." She said.

"No, you're not." Tom said, trying to pull the strings out of her hand.

"Riddle, it's my money, I can do what I want with it." Lyra protested.

"It's your dead parents' money and they would want you to spend it on yourself, not some Muggle orphans who tried to kill you!" Tom snarled and Lyra felt a jolt of pain at the mention of her parents.

"Well it's my money now." Lyra snapped, "And for the record they didn't try to kill me, they tried to frame me for murder. _You_ tried to kill me."

"I did not." Tom protested and Lyra gave him a withering look.

"You tried to get Conan to bring me down to the Chamber of Secrets so that you could kill me with your giant snake." Lyra stated dryly, "I think that fits the definition of attempted murder.

"Technically it would only be attempted murder if I told the basilisk to kill you and it failed." Tom said, "I _intended_ to attempt to kill you but I changed my mind."

"You only changed your mind because I threatened you." Lyra said, "If I hadn't we wouldn't be here right now arguing about this."

"No we wouldn't." Tom said, smirking slightly and Lyra took the liberty of smacking him on the arm with her small bag of blankets.

"You are really very violent." Tom remarked and Lyra raised an eyebrow.

"Would you look at that." Lyra said, smirking, "The pot is calling the kettle black."

Tom rolled his eyes, pushing past her to look at the other items in the store and Lyra rolled her eyes before going to pay for the balloons. After making her purchase, she looked around the shop and finally spotted Tom at the back of the store, looking at a pile of Dungbombs.

"Why are you getting Amy and Dennis balloons?" Tom asked as she approached, and Lyra sighed, wanting this conversation to be over with.

"I already told you." She said, impatiently, "They need to know that magic is not all bad. It's their fear of magic that makes them cruel."

"They were cruel before they feared magic." Tom retorted, "A couple of balloons are not going to make them like you nor are they going to magically turn them into nice people."

Lyra fell silent, knowing this was probably true. Perhaps she was a fool for making the same mistake over and over again. Befriending Amy and Dennis and showing them the good side of magic would probably prove as fruitless as her efforts to stop Tom from becoming Lord Voldemort. Still, she didn't know what else to do. She couldn't give up because that would only make things worse. She had tried hate, she had tried murder, and it had been awful.

"Maybe not, but what else can I do but try?" Lyra asked, an edge of desperation to her voice.

"You can _not_ try." Tom said, unhelpfully and Lyra snorted.

"What if I can get through to them though?" Lyra asked, "What if it _does_ work? It'll be worth it then."

Tom sighed, looking tired, "Reed, you can't change them and trying to is only going to hurt you. I suggest you stop."

Lyra shook her head, "Maybe then I shouldn't be aiming so much to change them per se, but just to leave the door open for them...in case they decide they want to use it."

Tom stared at her, examining her face carefully, "You're not a Slytherin." He said simply, turning to leave.


	42. Are we good?

**Thanks for the reviews Ai Star, Guest, ElleLight, and MeriemDjez!**

 **ElleLight, do you mind if I use your story about how you were told not to hug an orphan because another kid told you he shouldn't get used to receiving hugs in my story? If not, that's totally fine, I just think it would be good to add in sometime while they're at the orphanage.**

 **Also, this is kind of spoilerish but I plan on having her buy him something later :) One of the blankets is for him as well, so I guess there's also that.**

 **MeriemDjez, yeah I agree, Tom is actually the more logical one here. Lyra, as a Hufflepuff, doesn't operate based on logic so much as her own code of morality and her emotions. Whenever** **she makes a choice she always (often unconsciously) asks herself what the right thing to do is and then she does it, even if it's illogical, potentially harmful to her, or likely to fail. After all, if she operated based on logic, she probably wouldn't try to befriend Tom either lol**

 **Along with her lack of logic, she also lacks future planning skills and is running low on money. She knows this but she thinks buying these items for the orphans is more important than her finances ;) So yup, Hufflepuff. This is one of the areas where Tom would be able to balance her out very well haha**

 **Guest, haha yeah Tom is subconsciously very afraid of the fact that he likes her company.**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Lyra followed Tom out of the store with her purchases, daring to hope that perhaps things had gone back to normal between them after all...if their "relationship" could be considered "normal" to begin with. Deciding to test the waters, Lyra glanced sideways at him, feeling somewhat mischievous.

"If I just started calling you Tom like most of the Muggles do, what would happen?" Lyra asked, smirking slightly at the withering look he shot her way.

"Well I suppose I'd have to have you framed for a crime you didn't commit." Tom replied, raising an eyebrow and Lyra laughed.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle...Tom the marvelous riddle...I actually really like your name. It suits you." Lyra said, "I don't think it's common at all."

Tom snorted and made no reply and they walked in silence for a moment. Passing the Magical Menagerie, Lyra suddenly had an idea and stopped short.

"Riddle- I mean... _Tom_ ," She said, smirking at the look he gave her. "It's Christmas in a week...do the children at the orphanage get presents?"

Tom instantly glanced over at the animal store, looking suspicious, "Reed - and I'm calling you Reed regardless of what you call me - you are _not_ getting an animal for them."

"Why not a bunny?" Lyra asked, "You killed the last one and-"

"No." Tom said quickly, "Absolutely not."

"We can give it to Billy." Lyra continued, "He's leaving in a year anyway so he can take it with him when he goes."

"You want to buy Stubbs a bloody rabbit!?" Tom cried, genuinely angry now, "I know you received a sharp blow to the head and this is making you want to buy unnecessary things for unimportant people but Reed, you don't even know him. Is this just part of your whole attempt to prove to everyone that you're not like me? That you're a _good_ witch and you're nothing like the _evil_ wizard they're used to?"

Lyra suddenly wished she had never brought up this topic and vehemently shook her head, "Riddle... _Tom_ ," She corrected herself once again, "I'm not trying to prove I'm not like you, I'm trying to show them there's good and bad magic and that they don't have to be afraid of it."

"They should be afraid." Tom snapped, "Magic is more powerful than even their most dangerous war machines and you know it."

"Yes but it doesn't _have_ to be used to hurt people." Lyra protested and Tom shook his head.

"That doesn't matter." He said, "It _is_ used to hurt people and that is never going to change."

"What does any of this have to do with buying Billy a bunny anyway?" Lyra said, throwing her hands up into the air, "I presume you didn't even need magic to hang the bunny."

Tom sighed, still looking mutinous, "Fine. Do what you want. Buy Stubbs a bunny and maybe then he'll think you're the nicest girl in all of London."

Lyra threw her head back, groaning in exasperation, "Okay then, forget it." She snapped, walking away from the storefront, "I won't get him a bunny if it really means _that_ much to you."

Tom scoffed, "I don't care what you do. I just said do what you want." He snarled, stopping and looking back at and gesturing to the shop, "Go buy the bloody rabbit, Reed. I'm not going to stop you."

Lyra stared at him, utterly bewildered by the intensity of his reaction. Had she been right thinking he was jealous of her relationship with Billy and the other orphans? Moreover, had she vastly underestimated just _how_ jealous he was?

Sighing, Lyra rolled her eyes, "Tom, I'm not going to buy it, let's just go home."

Tom scoffed, "Why not?" He sneered, "Is it because you don't want to prove you're just trying to make them like you?"

Lyra sighed in exasperation, "Of course I want them to like me," She said, "Why is that even a bad thing? Especially after last night."

Tom snorted, "You're just like everyone else." He said, beginning to walk again and Lyra fell into step beside him, "You're ruled by what other people think of you."

"And you're not?" Lyra asked, staring at him in disbelief, "Mr. Perfect Head Boy with the best manners in the entire UK?"

Tom shook his head, "Yes but in that instance it is me who is using them. I do not care what they think of me except insofar as it can help me achieve my goals."

"So what if my goal is friendship." Lyra said, "Then don't I need them to like me to achieve my goal."

Tom snorted, "Are you sure your goal isn't status or safety or admiration?" He asked and Lyra actually laughed out loud at the pure cynicism.

"Well safety is my goal, I won't lie, and admiration is always nice, but status isn't something I've ever really cared about." Lyra said, and Tom nodded, examining her as if she were an interesting lab experiment.

"Fascinating." He said, "I wonder if you're lying to yourself."

Lyra laughed, "Let me know when you figure that out." She said, falling silent for a moment and realizing with a mild sense of shock that she had _missed_ him. Their banter gave her a familiar sort of comfort and amusement she just didn't get with anyone else. This was probably because Tom was wildly different from anyone else. He was unique and Lyra realized suddenly that she liked uniqueness.

"Tom, are we...are we good?" Lyra asked as they left the Leaky Cauldron and came out into busy downtown London.

Tom frowned, looking genuinely confused, "What do you mean, are we good?"

"Us." Lyra said, gesturing between the two of them, "Are we okay with one another? Do you forgive me for what happened with Conan?"

At this, Tom visibly stiffened and scoffed, "Reed, just forget about it."

"But do you forgive me?" Lyra pressed and Tom sighed in annoyance.

"Fine." He snapped, "Sure."

Lyra felt her stomach sink. "So you don't."

"Reed, I said I do." Tom snarled, increasing his pace and Lyra felt something twist painfully inside her. He was hurt, she realized with a sense of shock. Her betrayal had hurt him and that was why he had pushed her away.

"Tom, I'm sorry." She said, grabbing his arm and pulling him around to face her. "I was trying to protect Conan and I never thought that doing so would hurt you _or_ lose us the cloak."

"And if you had, would you have told me he'd unobliviated himself?" Tom asked, his dark eyes piercing hers and Lyra faltered.

"I- I probably would have tried to solve the cloak problem on my own." She admitted, "I wouldn't have risked you hurting him in some way."

Tom stared at her darkly for a moment before nodding and yanking his arm out of her grasp.

Lyra felt her heart sink and she shook her head, "Look, if you want blind loyalty then that's what your Knights are for. They don't care about you, but they'll do whatever you say because they're scared of you." Lyra said, "I'm not scared of you and I'm never going to do what you say if I don't think it's the right thing to do...but I will always try to act in your best interest because I care about you. I'm trying to be what most...normal people...call a friend." Lyra said.

Tom scoffed, "You're trying to be my friend? Well that's an incredibly pointless thing to do." He said, and Lyra laughed, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Why?" She asked.

"Well if friends, as you described them, care about you but won't do what you want them to do, then what good are they, really?" Tom said, raising an eyebrow.

"So what you're saying is you don't care if anyone cares about you at all?" Lyra said skeptically and Tom nodded.

"Why should I?" He asked, shrugging, "It's highly unnecessary."

"So you never want to be loved?" Lyra asked, "Or love anyone?"

At this Tom scoffed, "Love doesn't exist." He sneered.

"Yes it does." Lyra said, frowning.

Tom scoffed, "Think about everyone you've ever supposedly "loved". Would you still love them if all they ever did was hurt you and make your life hell?"

Lyra paused, her chest tightening, "I mean, maybe if they were my parents but then I'm not sure."

Tom rolled his eyes, "No, you wouldn't love them. Love is just the way we feel about something that helps us. We don't actually care about that thing beyond what it can do for us."

"What about the love parents have for their children?" Lyra countered, "These children burden them and yet they would still be willing to die for them."

Tom scoffed, "The parents need the children to pass on their genes." Tom replied emotionlessly.

"Then why do some parents not care about their children?" Lyra asked.

A look of visible pain crossed Tom's face that was instantly replaced by a look of cold irritation and Lyra felt something twist painfully inside her, "Look just because some parents care about passing on their genes and others don't doesn't stop the fact that those who do care about passing on their genes only love their kids for that reason."

"What about adopted children though, parents love them even though they're not related to them." Lyra pressed.

"An illusion." Tom snapped, "A mistake. Their minds are tricked into treating them as if they carry their genes because they fill the same role as one who would. Either that or it's not even genuine."

"How do you even know though?" Lyra asked, "What proof do you have that love isn't real? Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean that the experiences of everyone else don't exist. What do you seriously think is more likely - that everyone else is wrong and you are right or that you don't want to believe in love because doing so would require admitting that you're one of the only people in the world who's never been loved?"

Lyra froze, unable to believe the words that had just come out of her mouth. Tom's expression instantly became closed off and cold as ice, his eyes turning as black and emotionless as she'd ever seen them.

"Perhaps, Reed." Tom said after a moment, his jaw clenched, "You want to believe in love because it's the only thing you have going for you."

Lyra opened her mouth to apologize when the meaning of his words hit her and she closed it again, trying not to be offended at what she knew was just his attempt to hurt her back and failing.

"It's the only thing I have going for me?" Lyra asked.

Tom snorted, "Well you're not exceptionally smart or beautiful or talented at anything."

"I'm second in our year after you." Lyra snapped, "And maybe if I hadn't been homeschooled before coming here I would be first. As for my looks, they're perfectly fine.

Tom shrugged, "Sure you're intelligent and pretty but you're not nearly ambitious enough."

Lyra opened her mouth to protest when she did a double take. Had he just called her intelligent _and_ pretty?

"Did you just _compliment_ me?" Lyra asked and Tom frowned, looking confused.

"Reed, I was saying you have no ambition, how is that a compliment." He said and Lyra shook her head.

"No, the part before that," She said, "You said I was intelligent and pretty."

Tom snorted, rolling his eyes, "Yes and you're wasting it." He snapped, "You could do so much more and yet you're so _content_ to live this incredibly average life."

Lyra turned to stare at him, completing forgetting to be offended as a rush of warmth spread through her at the backhanded compliment. He thought she had potential...and even if he did think she was wasting it, coming from Tom that was probably one of the highest compliments one could ever receive. In front of them, the orphanage came into view and Lyra suddenly wished they weren't already back. Tom was sure to disappear into his room as soon as they entered the building and Lyra was surprised to find she didn't _want_ him to leave.

"What do you think I should do with my life then?" Lyra asked as they pushed open the gate and entered the front yard.

Tom sighed, looking up at the old building in front of them as he climbed the steps, "I don't know, Reed." He said, sounding tired, "That's up to you to figure out."

* * *

Just as she'd predicted, Tom disappeared into his room the moment they entered the orphanage and Lyra sighed. Pushing the problematic Slytherin from her mind, she quickly sought out Billy, eager to ask him how best to distribute the blankets. She found him alone in the study room, his math homework spread out in front of him and an incredibly bored look on his face.

"Did you get your medicine?" Billy asked the moment she stepped into the room and Lyra froze, realizing that she had been so distracted by everything else she had forgotten to eat the root.

"I forgot to take it." Lyra said, sitting down next to Billy and pulling out the silver root. "I need to eat it with food so I guess I'll just wait until lunch."

"Your head must be feeling better if you forgot to take it." Billy said, and Lyra laughed.

"I guess." She agreed, despite knowing that in all reality that wasn't the case. She had simply been too caught up in the moment to pay attention to the ever present throbbing sensation in the back of her head.

"I'll just eat it with lunch," Lyra said, checking her watch and noticing it was almost noon. "But first...I need your help with something." She said, grinning as she bent over and picked up her tiny bag containing all the blankets.

"What are those?" Billy asked, staring in confusion at the luminous balloons.

"Oh, those are just luminous balloons," Lyra said as if it were perfectly self-explanatory, "They're for Amy and Dennis. To make peace."

Billy immediately started shaking his head, "Lyra, no, don't." He said quickly, "They look magic...they are magic, right?"

Lyra nodded, "Yes but they're perfectly safe. They're just decorative."

Billy continued shaking his head vehemently, "It doesn't matter, Amy and Dennis hate magic and they have good reason to-"

"Which is exactly why I'm going to show them that not all magic is bad." Lyra said and Billy stared at her, looking incredibly worried.

"Lyra, I'm not sure that's a good idea. It might make things worse." Billy said, "What if they try something worse this time? What if they actually hurt you? They might interpret those balloons as a threat."

Lyra paused, realizing he was absolutely right. "How about this then." Lyra said after a moment, "I'll try talking to them first - talking to them about magic. I'll see how it goes and then if I think it's safe to show them the balloons, then I'll do it. If they like them, they can have them, but I won't force them to go near them if they don't want to."

Billy sighed, "I don't know, Lyra. I think it's best to just stay as far away from them as possible."

Lyra shook her head, "I'm going to try," She said, shrugging. "Anyway, I need your help." She said, returning to the matter she had come to discuss.

"With what?" Billy asked and Lyra grinned as she opened her tiny bag and took out a blanket.

Billy's eyes widened in shock as she kept taking more and more blankets out of the tiny bag, a look of bewilderment spreading across his face. "How are you- How does- How does that _fit_?"

"I charmed the inside of the bag to be larger than the outside." Lyra said simply, finally pulling out the last blanket and laying it on top of the giant pile of blankets in front of her.

"These are for the orphanage but I don't want anyone, especially not Mrs. Cole, to know I bought them." Lyra said, "How do you suggest going about this?"

Billy stared at the pile of blankets in shock for a moment before turning to stare at Lyra, "You bought all of these?" He asked, incredulously and Lyra nodded.

"It's freezing in here and Tom said sometimes kids died in the winter from the cold, or I guess from illnesses they got from the cold..." Lyra said, "So I figured this was necessary."

"Lyra, this is- this is amazing." Billy said, looking awestruck, "This is the kindest thing I've ever seen someone do."

Lyra instantly felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment and she quickly looked away, "How do you think I should give the blankets to everyone?" She asked quickly to dispel her feeling of awkwardness, "I don't want Mrs. Cole to know I did this because she would probably hate me even more if she thought I was trying to be charitable or whatever and...well I just don't want the others to know."

"Say they came from your professor." Billy suggested, "What was his name? The tall red-headed one? The one that came here last night."

"But what if Mrs. Cole writes a thank you note to him and he writes back saying he doesn't know what she's talking about?" Lyra asked and Billy pursed his lips.

"Hmm, well sometimes we get random donations from rich strangers." Billy said, "You could just say someone knocked on the door and gave you the blankets and then left. It's happened before."

Lyra grinned, "Yes, okay, that's perfect."

"Wait until after Mrs. Cole goes out for her afternoon shopping though." Billy said, "Then she'll have no reason to be suspicious as to why she didn't hear anyone knock on the door."

Lyra nodded, "Brilliant." She said, "Thank you so much."

"No, thank you." Billy said, smiling warmly at her, and Lyra smiled, hoping to Merlin her cheeks were not bright red.


	43. Your kind

**Thanks for the reviews beaniebun, Cassie-011, Ai Star, merroe, Guest, Elle Light, MeriemDjez, AlexisDumbee, and Liam1094!**

 **merroe, thank you that's so sweet! Your comments made my day :)**

 **Elle Light, thanks! It'll probably be coming up in the next chapter if all goes as planned.**

 **MeriemDjez, Albania does play a part in the story but it won't be like in the books. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to give away what happens!**

 **Sorry for the long wait! Hopefully this long chapter makes up for it. I will try to post the next one within the next couple days.**

 **As always, all belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Tom sighed, wishing he had gotten Lyra to buy him more than just an ice cream while they were in Diagon Alley. He didn't want to go down to eat lunch but he had barely eaten anything in the past 24h and his stomach was protesting. Closing his door behind him, Tom made his way down to the dinning room.

Seeing as he had left going down to eat until the last possible moment, the dining room was already full and only his usual spot remained open. Tom subconciously scanned the room for Lyra and felt a flicker of anger when he saw her sitting next to Billy. Pushing the feeling aside, Tom took his place, noticing how the little girl next to him shrunk away. He had never even seen the girl before - she must have arrived in the fall - but evidently his reputation had preceded him.

"So you don't even know the rules of baseball?" Billy asked Lyra rather loudly and Tom looked up, glaring at the idiot. Of course Lyra didn't know how to play baseball, she was a witch, and a witch who'd been raised by magical parents no less, Tom thought silently.

Tom stared at Lyra, thinking. Her first name was pureblood but her last name was Muggle, meaning it was likely she was telling the truth about her blood status. It was everything else that didn't make sense. She had a British accent and she acted British...there was no trace of her supposed upbringing in Albania. He had never even heard her speak Albanian before.

Then there was the curious fact that she was definitely not supposed to be in Slytherin. Hufflepuff, or even Gryffindor, would have fit her better. So why had the Sorting Hat put her in Slytherin then? Had it been because of him? Had she wanted to use him to get the ressurection stone before Grindelwald got his hands on it?

Noticing his gaze, Lyra looked up and smiled and Tom felt a strange sensation in the pit of his stomach that made him want to look away. Instead he raised an eyebrow as if to say so what? At this, Lyra laughed and Billy looked over at Tom, following Lyra's gaze. Tom immediately felt his expression sour and Billy's own smile turned into a look of distrust as he looked at Tom. Tom looked away, returning his attention to his food, and tried to ignore Lyra and Billy's stares until they finally lost interest in examining him.

* * *

Lyra looked up, feeling a flicker of excitement ignite inside her, as she heard the front door open and Mrs. Cole enter. She shot Billy a grin and he nodded as she clambered to her feet.

"Sorry, continue without me," She said to the small group of kids she had been playing board games with. "I'll be back later."

"Where are you going?" Jo asked and Lyra nodded towards the door.

"Just need to ask Mrs. Cole about something." She said before quickly making her escape.

Out in the hallway, she watched as Mrs. Cole disappeared into the kitchen, carrying a bag of groceries in her arms.

"Mrs. Cole...?" Lyra asked tentatively, following the woman into the kitchen where she began to unload her purchases.

Mrs. Cole made no reply, ignoring Lyra completely. Feeling annoyed, Lyra shook her head and dove right in.

"Mrs. Cole, someone dropped off a bunch of blankets today." She said, "I have them in my room upstairs, is it okay if I give them out?"

At this Mrs. Cole turned to Lyra and looked at her sharply, "Who?" She snapped and Lyra shook her head.

"It was a woman, middle-aged...she didn't give her name." Lyra replied, trying to look innocent.

Mrs. Cole frowned, as if thinking, for a moment, before shaking her head, "Yes, distribute them and bring any extras to me." She said sharply, turning away from Lyra and returning her attention to the groceries.

Trying to contain her relief, Lyra smiled and quickly left the room, running up the stairs to her room. Grabbing a giant pile of blankets, Lyra turned around and stared at Amy's door, wondering whether now would be a good time to talk to her. The blankets gave her an excuse to knock on her door and start a conversation. Then again, Lyra thought, of the two of them, Dennis seemed to be the most stable. Perhaps she was better off starting with him?

Hesitating for a moment, Lyra finally nodded and walked quickly down the hall to Dennis's room, knocking on the door.

"Who is it?" Dennis called out and Lyra felt her stomach flip with nervousness.

Instead of answering, she slowly pushed his door open, certain she wouldn't be allowed in if she announced her name.

"Hey..." Lyra said tentatively, peeking her head around Dennis's door. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Dennis's look of surprise quickly turned into one of hostility and he glared at her, "Go away creep." He snapped, returning his attention to the book in his hands.

Lyra hesitated, wondering whether she should just leave Dennis and Amy alone, like Tom and Billy wanted her to. No, Lyra thought, this needs to be addressed.

"Okay well I'm going to talk to you anyway." Lyra said, entering the room and closing the door behind her. She placed the pile of blankets on Dennis's desk and took one off the top, holding it out to him.

At this, Dennis put down his book, a look of mingled fear, anger, and confusion filling his face, "What's that for?" He snapped, standing up.

"It's a blanket." Lyra said, taking a step towards him.

Dennis merely took a step back, looking at Lyra and the blanket with intense suspicion.

"Well I don't want it." Dennis snapped. "And I don't want you here."

"Why are you so afraid of me?" Lyra said, despite knowing the reason, "After what you did, I should be the one who's afraid of you."

Dennis snorted, "I'm not afraid." He said, a slight tremor in his voice betraying his true feelings.

"Okay then why did you want to get rid of me?" Lyra asked.

"Because _your kind_ shouldn't even be allowed to be here." Dennis snarled. "You should be locked up or, better yet, burnt at the stake like we used to do."

Lyra felt a spark of anger at the sheer cruelty of his words and she forced herself to remain calm. She had half a mind to explain to him that nearly all the victims of the witch hunts were Muggles since witches and wizards had been able to escape but decided that little detail could wait. There were much more important issues to address first.

"My kind has a name." Lyra snapped, "I'm a witch. Tom's a wizard. Your kind has a name too, we call you Muggles."

Dennis shook his head, "I don't care what you call yourselves, you're freaks of nature and you shouldn't exist."

"What's so wrong about being a witch?" Lyra asked, taking a step towards him. Once again, Dennis took a step backwards.

"You're unnatural. Demonic." Dennis snarled, "Mrs. Cole says you get your powers from the Devil. That's why you can speak in that snake tongue."

Lyra froze, realizing he was talking about Tom's ability to speak Parseltongue.

"Mrs. Cole doesn't know what she's talking about, none of us worship the Devil." Lyra snapped, "And as for speaking to snakes, only Tom can do that. Well him and those related to him."

"Those related to him?" Dennis asked, and Lyra wondered if she'd said too much, "Do you know his family?"

Lyra shook her head, "No, but I know they could speak to snakes too. It's because they're descendants of a great wizard who was famous for being able to speak in snake-tongue. We call it Parseltongue."

"And you can't speak this...Pars...snake-tongue?" Dennis asked, looking highly suspicious.

Lyra shook her head, "It's a very rare ability."

Dennis looked her over, still looking incredibly apprehensive. Lyra hesitated, trying to figure out what to say next. Running her fingers along her wand inside her pocket, Lyra slowly pulled it out of her pocket. Dennis stared wide-eyed at it as Lyra lifted it up and drew a circle in the air, a wreath of flowers materializing out of thin air. Lyra grabbed the wreath and held it out for Dennis, who was still looking petrified. Dennis only backed away from her, his eyes darting furtively around the room, most likely looking for a way to escape.

"Look, magic doesn't have to be dangerous." Lyra said. "Magic can be beautiful."

"It can be helpful too." Lyra said, pointing her wand at a broken pencil on his desk.

" _Reparo_." She said, and Dennis jumped as the pencil fixed itself.

"A long, long time ago, magical and non-magical people used to live together openly and magical people would help the non-magical people with all sorts of problems." Lyra said, remembering her the stories her mother used to tell her before bed. "They used to cure their diseases, fix their things when they broke...you know, things like that."

"Then, conflicts started arising between the Muggles - I mean you, non-magical people - and the magical people. Muggles would get jealous or would become afraid of the magical people and hunt them down or exploit them. I'm sure there were also some witches and wizards who abused their power and hurt Muggles too. Eventually, the witch hunts started and witches and wizards had to go into hiding. Our government put in place a statute of secrecy, which prohibits us from telling Muggles about magic, and we've lived in secret ever since."

"If you're not allowed to talk about magic then why are you telling me this?" Dennis asked and Lyra actually laughed.

"Because you already know." She said, "I don't know who told you, but the damage has already been done."

"No one told me." Dennis snapped, "I _saw_."

"What did you see?" Lyra asked and Dennis glared at her.

"Don't pretend you don't know." He said viciously, "I know you're friends with him. He's never been that nice to anyone before."

Lyra felt her stomach flutter not entirely unpleasantly as she realized who he was talking about but she shook her head. "We're not really friends. He doesn't tell me anything like that but I do know about the cave." Lyra said and the colour drained out of Dennis's face.

"Tom didn't tell me about it, our teacher did." Lyra said.

"Your teacher?" Dennis snapped, "How did your teacher hear about that?"

"Mrs. Cole told him when he came to tell Tom he'd been accepted to Hogwarts - our school." Lyra explained and Dennis stared at the blank wall to Lyra's left, looking incredibly overwhelmed.

"Look, I don't know what he did in that cave but I want you to know that whatever it was, it wasn't normal and it wasn't right." Lyra said, "Magic's not supposed to be used to hurt people but even the best things can be twisted when they're in the hands of people who are angry. Whatever he did, I am 95% sure it was against our own magical laws. Witches and wizards are not out to get Muggles. We're not trying to hurt you, we're trying to _hide_ from you."

"And why should I believe you?" Dennis asked, glaring at her.

"Why should you _not_?" Lyra asked, "Assuming all witches and wizards are like Tom is like assuming that all Muggles are like you. There are good and bad people in the world and magical ability has nothing to do with that."

"So you're saying Tom is evil but most people like you aren't." Dennis said, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I didn't mean to say Tom was evil, I just meant that you can't take the first wizard you meet and assume he's representative of the entire wizarding population." Lyra said.

Dennis gave her a strange look, "So you think Tom is a good person?" He asked and Lyra sighed.

"That is entirely beside the point." She said, "All I'm saying is-"

"But do you think Tom is a good person after all he has done?" Dennis snarled, "He's terrorized everyone in here and he's used his powers to do it. I don't care if other witches and wizards are nice or whatever, I don't think _anyone_ should be allowed to have magical powers because you never know when they're going to snap and use them to hurt people."

"You don't need magic to hurt people, Dennis." Lyra snapped, "Muggles are perfectly capable of killing each other without any special powers. And as for Tom, well from what I heard, _he_ was being terrorized by _you_ , until he got fed up and took you to that cave to scare you into leaving him alone."

"Oh so it's my fault?" Dennis snarled, and Lyra faltered.

"Well...well he didn't deserve to be harassed by you and Amy." Lyra snapped, "Just like you and Amy didn't deserve to be traumatized by him. But what else was he supposed to do? What else would have stopped you from tormenting him?"

"Well maybe if he'd been drowned the moment it became evident he was one of your kind, life would have been better for both of us." Dennis said and Lyra stared at him, fury coursing through her veins as she struggled not to curse him.

"Maybe, if you'd been drowned the moment it became evident you were a git, life would have been better for not just Tom, but everyone else." Lyra snarled and Dennis's face flushed with anger.

"Get out of my room before I make you regret what you just said." Dennis growled, "Just because you escaped last night doesn't mean you will next time."

Lyra froze, realizing she had been so, so wrong. Tom and Billy had been right and she had foolishly tried to make him see reason anyway. Perhaps Tom had dealt with them in the only way possible; perhaps fear was the only language they understood.

"What did you just say?" Lyra asked and Dennis snorted.

"I think you heard me, _witch_." He sneered and Lyra took a step towards him, incensed.

Fixing her gaze intently on Dennis's brown eyes, Lyra pointed her wand at Dennis and whispered, " _Legilimens_."

 _Flash!_

 _A very young Dennis, probably no older than 5, sat at the dining room table, kicking his legs against the boy in front of him. Lyra stared at the dark-haired boy in front of him, nearly certain it was Tom._

 _Tom had his chair pushed out as far away from the table as possible so as to protect his legs from Dennis's kicks. This worked for a minute before Mrs. Cole came up behind him and roughly pushed him in, grumbling about how he had no sense of table manners and Tom cried out in pain as Dennis's foot made contact with his shin._

 _"Stop it!" Tom cried, picking up a handful of his mashed potato and throwing it at Dennis's face. The potato missed Dennis entirely and the little boy burst into laughter, only serving to make Tom more angry._

 _"Mrs. Cole!" Dennis began in a whiny voice, "Tom is throwing food at me."_

 _At this, Tom shook his head vehemently as Mrs. Cole came over and smacked him on the back of a head with a wooden spoon. Tom's eyes watered and he looked down at his lap, trying desperately not to cry as Dennis's laughter filled the room, drawing the attention of some other kids._

 _"Oohhh, look at little Tommy!" An older girl mocked, "Looks like the little baby's going to cry."_

 _Unable to take it any longer, Tom picked up his entire bowl and hurled it at the girl, this time hitting her in the face. Shocked and in pain, the girl burst into tears and Mrs. Cole rounded on Tom, her face turning a deep shade of purple._

 _"You are going to get a good ten lashes for that behaviour, Tom!" Mrs. Cole screeched, grabbing him roughly by the arm and pulling him off his chair so roughly that he fell onto the ground. Dennis continued to laugh as Tom was dragged from the room and the older girl continued to cry as she tried to clean the food off her face._

 _Flash!_

 _The sound of children laughing filled Lyra's ears as the front courtyard of the orphanage came into view. Dennis and Amy were shredding a book filled with writing, giggling as they did so. A few other kids were watching, looks of shocked amusement on their tiny faces._

 _"This is for you, Davey." Amy said, winking at a boy who was watching and who Lyra recognized as a younger version of the David she had met on the first day._

 _"And you Charles." Dennis said, nodding to an older boy with a large build. "We know he was lying."_

 _At this Charles's face darkened and he stepped forward and ripped the book out of Dennis and Amy's hands. "Give me that." He snapped, ripping it down the middle._

 _Lyra looked around and noticed a boy who looked suspiciously like a younger version of Billy sitting under a tree, his legs curled up against his chest. He was watching the entire scene with a look of apprehension. Suddenly, Billy jumped and he looked down, hiding his face in his arms. Lyra turned to see a slightly younger version of the Tom she had met when they were 9 standing in the doorway of the orphanage, a look of pure fury on his face._

 _"Looking for your homework?" Amy asked shrilly, "Looks like you're going to have to tell the teacher you forgot to do it. I wonder what she'll give you? Five lashes? Maybe ten?"_

 _"Give it back." Tom snarled, walking down the steps. "Give it back or I'll hurt you."_

 _"We're not afraid of you." Dennis said, dangling the mangled book in front of Tom and snatching it away when Tom tried to grab it._

 _"You should be." Tom muttered and Dennis laughed cruelly, reaching out and pushing Tom hard. Failing to regain his footing, Tom fell backwards onto the ground and the kids watching burst into laughter as Tom's face turned crimson red._

 _The laughter of the other kids fell away as Tom began hissing and Lyra spotted a garden snake slithering towards him. Before her very eyes, half a dozen more snakes joined the first, all heading straight for Dennis and Amy._

 _"Stop it." Amy snapped, dropping the pages she had ripped from the book and stumbling away from the snakes, "Stop doing that!"_

 _Tom merely continued to hiss louder and the kids took off running as the snakes approached them. Lyra jumped in shock as Amy tripped, seemingly for no reason, and the snakes caught up to her, wrapping themselves around her legs and arms and biting her. Amy screamed as she kicked her legs and flailed her arms, trying to get the snakes off. Dennis fell moments later and Lyra guessed Tom must have somehow made them fall._

 _"What in the name of-" Mrs. Cole began, running down the front steps. She stopped short when she saw Amy and Dennis on the ground surrounded by snakes._

 _"Oh my Lord!" She screeched, running over to the two kids and trying unsuccessfully to pry a snake off of Dennis._

 _Looking around herself, she noticed Tom, who was now standing by the wall of the orphanage, still hissing quietly with his eyes fixed on Amy and Dennis._

 _"Tom!" Mrs. Cole screeched, marching straight towards him, "You stop this right this instant!"_

 _A brief look of fear flashed across Tom's face and he shut his mouth just before Mrs. Cole slapped him across the face. Tom's cheek burned bright red and his eyes began to water but the look of fear was gone - replaced by a look of pure hatred._

 _"Come here you little demon." Mrs. Cole snarled, grabbing Tom roughly by the arm and pulling him towards the door. Lyra began to follow them when the memory faded to black until..._

 _Flash!_

 _The screech of seagulls filled Lyra's ears as she looked around herself and realized with a chill where she was. This was the memory she had been searching for._

 _Dennis sat in the sand, digging a moat around a castle that Amy had been building. Billy ran up to them, holding out the collection of seashells he'd found._

 _"So pretty!" Amy cried, grabbing them from Billy, "Go find more!"_

 _Billy nodded, grinning, before running off to do as he was told as Amy began to decorate the castle._

 _"Dennis, Amy." The Tom Lyra remembered from her grandmother's basement said, coming up behind them, "Come over here, I want to show you something."_

 _"Go away, freak." Dennis said, glaring at Tom before returning his attention to the sandcastle._

 _"No, I want to show you something." Tom insisted, "I think you'll really want to see it."_

 _"Since when do we want to go anywhere with you?" Amy sneered, and Lyra noticed the way Tom's jaw clenched the way it did when he tried to keep his temper under control._

 _"Okay, well I was going to share it with you, but since you're not interested..." Tom trailed off and Dennis looked up sharply._

 _"Share what with us?" He snapped._

 _"Well its...it looks like...a chest..." Tom said, looking unsure, "You know, like a pirate's chest?"_

 _At this, Amy dropped the shells she was holding and turned to look at Tom. "You mean like pirate's treasure?" She asked and Tom nodded._

 _"Yeah, I think so." Tom said, "There were all these golden coins inside...jewellery and cups and...well if you're not interested I'll just go ask Billy if he wants to come with me."_

 _"No!" Amy cried, jumping up, "No." She said again more quietly, looking between Tom and Dennis. "Take us. We're interested. Aren't we Dennis?"_

 _Dennis looked at Tom, suspicion written plainly across his face. "You better not be lying to us, freak." Dennis said and Tom glared at him._

 _"Believe what you want to believe but I'm going to go get some of the treasure." Tom said, turning to leave._

 _Amy immediately ran after him, "I'm coming with you!" She cried, and Dennis sighed before following after them._

 _"Where even is this so-called treasure?" Dennis asked as they approached a high cliff at the end of the beach._

 _"Up there." Tom said, pointing to a cave high above the water._

 _Amy frowned, "But how...how do we get up there?"_

 _"Like this." Tom said, leading the way over to an opening in the cliff._

 _"You want us to go in there? With you?" Dennis asked, a look of fear filling his face as he stared at the dark passageway in front of him._

 _Tom merely shrugged, "Up to you." He said, turning to enter the passageway_

 _Amy turned to Dennis and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the passageway after Tom. "Come on, Dennis, why are you such a chicken?"_

 _Dennis pushed her and Amy laughed, the sound echoing off the stones around them._

 _After what seemed to Lyra an eternity of uphill climbing, Tom finally led them out into a large cavernous space filled with a large pool of murky green water. Giant stalactites and stalagmites filled the room and Tom reached out to touch one, running his fingers over the surface._

 _"So where's the treasure?" Amy asked excitedly and Tom looked out over the green expanse of water._

 _"In there." He said, pointing to the lake._

 _"Tom, stop joking around and show us where the treasure is." Amy demanded, and Tom raised an eyebrow._

 _"You don't believe me?" He asked, approaching the lake. "I can see from right here. It's right under the water."_

 _"You didn't tell us it was under water!" Amy cried, running over to where Tom was standing by the water._

 _"I don't see it." Amy said, frowning as she looked down into the water._

 _"You need to look closer." Tom said, pointing at the water._

 _"Amy, I think we should go." Dennis said, uncertainly but Amy shook her head._

 _"Where!?" She cried, crouching down to stare at the water. "I can't see it!"_

 _"Just reach it and you'll feel it." Tom said, "It's right under the surface, it's just murky and hard to see."_

 _"Don't do it." Dennis said and Amy turned to glare at him._

 _"Shut up chicken." She said, turning around and reaching out to touch the water._

 _Feeling nothing, she stuck her hand in further, frowning in confusion. "I don't feel anything, Tom." She said, "Why don't I-"_

 _Lyra jumped as a skeletal hand reached up and grabbed Amy's arm and Amy let out a blood curdling scream. Tom quickly backed away from the water as a corpse-like creature tried to pull Amy into the pond and Dennis ran forward, trying to pry the creature's skeletal hands off of Amy. Dennis screamed as the creature grabbed his hand and he let go of Amy, sending her flying into the lake. Dennis fell backwards just as another corpse came out of the water and grabbed his leg, pulling him into the water as well. Tom watched from the side of the cave, a dark look on his young face, as the two kids struggled to stay above water, screaming as the creatures tried to drag them under._

 _Lyra stared at the scene in horror, her nails digging into her palms as she worried for a moment that she was about to witness two kids drown._ _But they didn't drown, Lyra reminded herself. They lived._

 _Lyra watched as the creatures pulled Amy under the water for the umpteenth time and felt her heart begin to race as, this time, the girl didn't resurface. Lyra approached the water, trying to see beneath the murky surface when to her great surprise, the shoreline lit on fire and the fire spread out, encircling the entire lake. Lyra turned to see Tom staring at the water intensely, his young face concentrating hard as the fire spread out to reach the corpse holding Dennis. Noticing the fire, the corpse let go of Dennis and he quickly swam away, trying to reach the shore. Moments later, Amy, too, resurfaced, gasping for breath._

 _Tom watched as_ Dennis pulled himself out of the lake, shivering violently as he lay on the ground coughing and panting. _Following him, Amy struggled to swim over to the shore, coughing up water and nearly sinking despite being freed. Noticing her, Dennis crawled over to the side of the lake and reached out his hand to grab her, pulling her up onto land as she continued to cough up water._

 _As the two of them crawled away from the water's edge, Tom let the fire go out and stared at them, huddled up together, soaking wet and shaking violently from the cold. Tom walked over to where they were sitting and looked down at them, his face impassive._

 _"You will tell no one what you saw." He said quietly, "Do you understand me?"_

 _Amy made no reply, huddling in closer to Dennis instead. Dennis merely glared at Tom._

 _"I said: Do you understand me?" Tom repeated and Dennis nodded at last._

 _"Good." Tom said._

Lyra pulled herself out of Dennis's memory and stared at him in shocked silence.

"Get out of my room." Dennis ground out after a moment and Lyra nodded, quickly picking up her pile of blankets and leaving the room.

* * *

 **So this is my theory on what happened in the cave. As far as I know JK Rowling hasn't said anything about what actually happened in the cave so I made it up based on the inferi scene in the Half-Blood Prince!**


	44. Thank you

**Thanks for the reviews Elle Light, Ai Star, MeriemDjez, and Cassie-011!**

 **Elle Light, you story will be next chapter, this one was too long to fit it in! My theory on Dennis is just that because the orphanage was such a hard place to grow up in, he felt like he had two options: bully or be bullied.**

 **MeriemDjez, haha they are hard to sympathize with as even Lyra is finding out. Also, in my story, the inferi were already there in the cave when Tom found it. He couldn't have made them since he was just a child. However, in the original books, JK Rowling may have meant to imply Voldemort created them...not sure about that. Also no clue how they are made!**

 **This chapter is also pretty intense, I guess it's just the part of the story we're at!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Lyra closed the door to Dennis's room behind her and leaned against the wall in the hallway, trying to slow her racing heart. She had meant to convince him magic wasn't so bad not force him to relive his worst memory! She had lost control of her temper...it was all there was to it. That and she had finally given in to her burning desire to find out what Tom had done to Amy and Dennis in that cave.

Lyra clutched the pile of blankets to her chest, wondering what to do now. If she couldn't even get through to Dennis, was there any point, even, in talking to Amy? And did they even deserve for her to try? All things considered, they were just as responsible for her parents' deaths as Tom was. They had turned him into Lord Voldemort.

And then there was the matter of Tom himself... She had known his childhood had been less than optimal but seeing the abuse with her own eyes had made it that much more real. She felt a wave of pity for him wash over her and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to go talk to him.

Shaking her head to clear it, Lyra quickly distributed the blankets outside the closed doors of the other children's rooms and then ran back to her own room. Pulling out her wand, she placed a warming spell on one of the blankets and then reached into her wardrobe to pull out one of the luminous balloons. Closing and magically locking her door behind her, Lyra quickly stepped across the hall to Tom's room and knocked.

To her surprise, after a moment Lyra heard the bed springs creak and footsteps approach the door. A few seconds later, Tom opened the door the crack and his eyes immediately focused in on the luminous balloon and blanket in her arms.

"Since when do you open your door when I knock?" Lyra asked jokingly but Tom ignored her, preoccupied with the items in her arms.

"What are you doing, Reed?" He asked and Lyra sighed, unsure how much she wanted to tell him about her encounter with Dennis.

"I- I, um, well I came to give you this." Lyra said, holding out the blanket for him to take, "I charmed it to stay warm but if it's too hot or too cold let me know and I'll change it since, you know, you can't do magic outside of school and so, yeah, here you go." Lyra rambled on, feeling her cheeks blush. What was wrong with her? She needed to calm down.

Tom's face twisted into a look of confused apprehension, his eyes scanning her face before wandering up to the luminous balloon floating beside her head.

"You're not seriously going to give them those balloons, are you?" Tom asked and Lyra sighed, realizing it would be pointless - and potentially damaging - to lie to him.

"I went to talk to Dennis." Lyra said quietly before looking around herself, hoping no one could hear, "Can I- can I come in?" Lyra asked and Tom hesitated before letting out a sigh of defeat.

"I guess." He said reluctantly, stepping back to let her in and Lyra felt her stomach flip as she looked around herself. She had been here before, many years ago. She had a strange desire to look out the window the way she had when she had been 9 but restrained herself, turning to look at Tom instead.

He was no longer the same child she had met - the same child she had just seen in Dennis's memory. But perhaps he wasn't so different from that child when you looked close enough.

"I went to talk to Dennis just now," Lyra repeated, steeling herself for the annoyance she knew Tom would feel when he found out she purposefully looked through Dennis's memories. "And I tried to explain to him that magic isn't all bad and that we hide from Muggles to avoid conflict but that it wasn't always that way and he just didn't get it." Lyra said, glancing at Tom warily.

"He kept saying witches and wizards should be killed and I just got so mad that I used Legilimency on him." Lyra said, watching as the colour slowly drained from Tom's face.

"What did you see?" He asked, somewhat hollowly.

"I saw...I saw him kicking you and destroying your books and Mrs. Cole hitting you and- and I saw what happened in the cave." Lyra said quietly, unable to meet his eyes. She felt embarrassed and guilty, as if she'd read his personal diary without his consent and found out information he didn't want her to know.

"You wanted to know what I did to them." Tom said, his voice weirdly calm and Lyra nodded.

"I'm sorry." She said, "I know you probably didn't want me to know but for what it's worth I don't blame you."

Tom snorted derisively, "No, you wouldn't, would you?"

Lyra frowned, confused, "What do you mean?"

Tom scoffed, "You don't even realize it, do you?" He sneered.

"Realize what?" Lyra asked, utterly confused.

"You don't see people for what they are." Tom said waspishly, "You just forgive them and try to make peace with them over and over again even when they don't care about you at all. You don't seem to understand that they're evil; instead, you think they're afraid or misunderstood or God knows what else."

"Are you talking about Dennis and Amy or yourself?" Lyra asked and Tom scoffed.

"Everyone." He snapped, "You do this with everyone."

Lyra fell silent, unsure what to say. Was he right? He was quite possibly right. She had been wrong to think she could get through to Dennis and Amy, she'd been wrong to trust Conan, and she knew very well that her attempts to sway Tom onto a less destructive path were likely pointless.

"But what else can I do?" Lyra asked, speaking out loud the question that floated to the front of her mind.

"You can see them for what they are and take precautions to ensure they never hurt you." Tom said and Lyra shook her head.

"I don't let them hurt me, though." She said, "You've never hurt me. In fact, you've even _saved_ me."

Tom snorted, "I didn't-"

"You didn't do it for me, I know, I know." Lyra said quickly, rolling her eyes, "But you did it. And you also saved Dennis and Amy in the cave. You could have let them die but you didn't."

"Oh so you think I saved them because I felt bad?" Tom sneered, "Because I thought they deserved to live?"

Lyra shrugged, "Why you did it is besides the point."

Tom raised an eyebrow, "Beside the point?" He asked skeptically, "You're telling me you are entirely uninterested in whether I saved them for purely selfish reasons or whether I acted out of some kind of so-called morality?"

"Either way, how can I judge you?" Lyra asked, throwing her hands up in the air, "How can anyone judge you for wanting to scare them enough to get them to stop tormenting you? They put you through hell, the other kids helped them do it, Mrs. Cole made it worse, and no one did anything to stop it. How could you have become anything other than what you are right now if this is all you've ever known? You think I'm crazy for forgiving you when you've done nothing to deserve it? You think I don't see you for what you are? Well, in my opinion what you deserve is to have someone who actually cares about you and who doesn't see a monster when they look at you."

Lyra clamped her mouth shut, realizing she had blurted out far too much. Tom made no reply, his face impassive, and Lyra felt her heart race as she waited for him to say something...anything. But he remained silent, staring at the corner of the wall by her feet.

"I'm sorry but I have things to do and I think it's time you left." Tom said at last, his tone a less-than-perfect imitation of polite voice he used at Hogwarts. "And you need to go give that balloon to Dennis so that he doesn't hate you for invading his privacy and you can get back to befriending him."

Lyra shook her head vehemently, "No, it's for you." She said quickly and Tom's eyes widened infinitesimally.

"Look I know I just spent a lot of time defending myself against your claim that I'm too forgiving and too blind to peoples faults but the truth is, I don't want to spend the time and effort necessary to get through to Dennis and Amy. I don't want to spend this entire Christmas break trying to get along with people who are determined to hate us for things we can't control. You were right, and so I'm going to take your advice and just ignore them. This balloon is for you."

Tom was silent for a moment, his expression guarded, "Why me?" He asked, somewhat suspiciously. "I've done far worse than Dennis and Amy ever have."

Lyra hesitated before blurting out the truth, "Because I like you." She said, shrugging as if her words meant nothing but blushing furiously because they did, in fact, mean something. What exactly they meant, Lyra didn't know. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know either.

Tom made no reply, his dark eyes piercing her own as if trying to read her mind. He looked more confused than Lyra had ever seen him and suddenly she wanted nothing more than to hide away. Things had suddenly gotten much too intense and much too confusing for her comfort and Lyra didn't know where to look or what to say.

"Okay, well, I'm going to go," Lyra muttered, placing the blanket on Tom's desk and tying the string of the balloon to his bedpost. "I'm really tired from, well, you know, yesterday..."

Tom nodded, her words seeming to jolt him from his thoughts. "Reed, I already charmed my blankets to stay warm." Tom said, gesturing towards his bed, "I took them to Hogwarts and did it there."

"Oh," Lyra said, nodding, "Okay then I'll just take the blanket back then." She said, reaching for the blanket.

To her surprise, Tom grabbed her arm, stopping her. "That doesn't mean I don't want it." He said and Lyra smiled, laughing quietly.

"Okay." She said, painfully aware of him removing his hand from her arm. What was _wrong_ with her?

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow?" Lyra asked, her hand on the doorknob. "You are going to come down to eat at some point aren't you?"

Tom nodded, something akin to an actual smile touching his lips before he looked away. Lyra felt her heart skip a beat, a flurry of questions and emotions tumbling through her mind as she felt her grip on his doorknob tighten.

"Are you going to go or are you going to just stand there staring at me?" Tom asked after a moment, his lips turning up into a subtle smirk and Lyra was jolted out of her stupor.

Lyra laughed, trying to get a hold of herself, and pulled open the door. "Right." She said, suddenly feeling embarrassed, "Goodnight."

* * *

The next day passed by painfully slowly and Lyra soon realized that abuse and neglect were not the only problems the kids had to face in this orphanage. Sheer boredom was just as deadly.

Lyra was not surprised, but not pleased either, to find that Tom only appeared at meal times. However, despite his lack of physical presence, Lyra found it incredibly difficult to get him out of her mind. The scenes she had seen in Dennis's memories were etched into her brain like a tattoo and she was unable to stop replaying the events of the past four months over and over again in an effort to understand - to understand him.

It all made sense now, Lyra thought. How could Tom Riddle have _not_ turned into Lord Voldemort - being who he was and having had the life he'd had. The question was whether or not it was too late to change things. If he had a friend, if he had a reason to care about just one other human being...would he really be able to continue on the path he was on?

He didn't hurt people just for the fun of it, he did it for revenge. He never acted randomly, every action he took had purpose.

It was all becoming excruciatingly clear, now, Lyra thought, drumming her fingers on the desk as she stared blankly at the book Billy had given her while he finished some math homework at the study table in front of her. It was nearly time for bed and Billy had procrastinated his homework all day until Lyra had finally nearly forced him to do it. Billy was nice and while Lyra enjoyed spending time with him, it wasn't enough to get her mind off Tom and even Billy had begun to notice her absentmindedness. Lyra shook her head, turning the page of the book she was pretending to read.

It was a crime, really, what had happened to Tom, Lyra thought, feeling a spark of anger ignite inside her at the thought. Everyone was guilty, either of hurting him or of watching it happen and doing nothing. All the children in the orphanage, Mrs. Cole, Dumbledore, Dippet, Slughorn, the students at Hogwarts... No one paid enough attention - no one _cared_ enough to pay attention - and only Lyra knew the price they would one day pay for it.

"Lyra?" Billy asked, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"W-what?" Lyra asked, jumping slightly.

"You're not really reading that book, are you." Billy said, looking at her knowingly.

Lyra laughed, closing the book and running her fingers through her hair, "No, I'm just tired, that's all."

"You've been off all day." Billy said, tilting his head slightly to one side, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Lyra nodded quickly, "I'm fine, I promise." She said, "Just tired."

Billy nodded even though Lyra was nearly certain he didn't believe her. "Maybe you should go to bed then." Billy said, glancing at the clock on the wall. "You don't have to wait for me to finish, I might be another hour."

Lyra hesitated for a moment, not wanting to be rude, before conceding. "Alright, sure, I'm sorry. Good luck with the rest of it." She said, gesturing towards his homework.

Billy let out a tired sigh, "Let's just say I wish I could learn spells and potions instead of calculus."

Lyra laughed, standing up and stretching, "I have a feeling you'd rethink that statement if you knew how tedious and difficult it is to make a potion."

"The grass is greener, I guess." Billy said and Lyra laughed, nodding.

"Goodnight." She said, pulling open the door to the hallway.

"Night." Billy said as Lyra left the room, letting the door close quietly behind her.

Wanting to slip away into the silence of her room, Lyra quickly made her way up the stairs, thankfully not meeting anyone along the way. She glanced at Tom's room as she passed it, a pang of sadness filling her at the sight. Lyra shook her head, prying her eyes away from Tom's door and quickly slipping inside her own room. Magically locking the door behind her, Lyra quickly changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed, trying and failing to clear her thoughts.

She needed to get a handle on herself, Lyra thought to herself, forcing her eyes closed. She would try to help him, as she had been doing all along, but it would have to wait until tomorrow. There was absolutely no point thinking about him now, she reminded herself. Still, despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop his face from floating to the front of her mind. He was brilliant, he was beautiful, and he had no idea how great life could be. He didn't know what happiness was, he didn't believe in love, he didn't understand friendship or family or anything worth anything and Lyra suddenly felt like crying.

Shaking her head, Lyra rolled over, trying to focus on anything _but_ Tom. Finally, after an hour and a half of rolling around, Lyra sat up, exhausted and annoyed. Remembering the sleeping potion Rosalie had given her, Lyra rolled out of bed and pulled it out of her trunk. She took a sip before climbing back into bed and falling asleep at last.

* * *

Lyra awoke to the sound of sirens and explosions, her heart racing as she sat up with a start. The entire building had reverberated with the sound of the crash and Lyra stared wide-eyed at the orange flickers of what looked like fire outside her window. Her first thought was that Amy and Dennis had done something again, but she quickly realized this was something much bigger.

Jumping out of bed, Lyra ran to her window and stared out at the London streets below, horrified. She had nearly forgotten about the Muggle war. In the distance she could see smoking piles of rumble dotted with flickers of orange fire. Lyra gripped the windowsill tightly for a moment before running towards the door of her room and pulling it open. The hallway was deserted, the doors of most of the children's rooms left wide open and Lyra felt her heart race. Where was everyone? She wondered frantically, staring into empty room after empty room.

Noticing that Tom's door was still closed, Lyra quickly pulled it open, only to find that his room was empty as well. Running down the stairs, Lyra found that all the children on the lower floor were gone as well. Reaching the ground level floor, Lyra began to panic as she found that it, too, was empty.

Another bomb hit the ground, making Lyra scream in surprise as the entire building shuddered and a few paintings fell off the walls. Looking out the window, Lyra noticed someone moving in the field behind the orphanage and her heart skipped a beat. Had they all gone to some kind of underground bunker?

Throwing open the back door, Lyra took off, sprinting in the direction of the person she had seen, only to find herself lost in the dark. Shaking from fear, Lyra scanned the area, trying to find evidence of a bunker. Finally, just as she was about to give up and head back inside, she nearly tripped over a piece of metal embedded in the ground and quickly kneeled, pounding on what she assumed must be a hatch.

A few seconds later, Lyra jumped as the hatch opened and Lyra stared down into the dark bunker below.

"Get in!" Mrs. Cole screeched, just as another bomb hit and the ground shook.

Lyra descended the ladder as quickly as possible, her sweaty hands nearly slipping off the rails more than once. At last, she reached the bottom and Mrs. Cole quickly closed the hatch. Lyra turned to face the bunker full of dirty, terrified children. The majority of them were huddled together in the fall corner, their ashen faces looking up at her in fear. Lyra scanned the room, realizing quickly that something was off.

"Where's Tom?" She asked, turning to Mrs. Cole, cold fear filling the pit of her stomach at the look the woman gave her.

"I don't bloody well know!" She cried, "He went to find you!"

Lyra felt suddenly as if someone had punched her in the gut and she was unable to breathe. Tom had gone to find her? He was still _out_ there?

Without a second thought, Lyra quickly began climbing the ladder again, causing Mrs. Cole to screech in protest.

"What do you think you're doing?" She snarled, pulling Lyra's hands away from the rails, "No one leaves this bunker until the bombing is over."

"Tom is out there!" Lyra cried, "We're not leaving him!"

"Lyra, come on, it's not safe." Billy said, coming up behind her and Lyra rounded on him, furious.

"No, it's not safe. It's not safe for him to be out there alone." Lyra snapped, before turning back to Mrs. Cole and glaring at the woman.

"You let me leave this bunker right now or I swear to Merlin the bombs will be the least of your worries." Lyra hissed, watching Mrs. Cole's face turn red and blotchy.

Receiving no answer from the red-faced woman, Lyra took her silence to mean she had won and began climbing the ladder once more, fumbling around for the latch and eventually succeeding in opening the hatch enough to get out. Climbing out onto the frozen ground, Lyra looked up at the orphanage, hoping to Merlin that Tom was inside it.

Closing the hatch behind her, Lyra took off running towards the orphanage, nearly tripping on pebbles as she ran across the field.

"TOM!" Lyra screamed as she ran, looking around her in every direction and seeing nothing but blackness.

"Tom!?" Lyra cried again, as loud as she could, despite being out of breath, as she entered the orphanage. She felt a wave of dread wash over her as she received no reply. Running through the house, Lyra was about to run up the stairs when she heard a crash coming from the kitchen.

"Lyra!?" Lyra heard him call out and she took off running towards the sound of his voice, finally spotting him in the kitchen.

"Tom!" Lyra screamed, running towards him and wrapping her arms around him before she could think twice about it.

"Where were you!?" Tom cried, grabbing her and pulling her out so he could stare at her, concern etched in every line of his face. "I thought- I thought you were-"

"I was asleep," Lyra said, "I didn't hear the sirens. When I got to the bunker they said you weren't there."

"You were at the bunker!?" Tom cried, staring at her incredulously, before shaking his head, "Never mind, we don't have time for this." He said, pulling her towards the door of the kitchen just as another bomb hit and Lyra screamed as the kitchen reverberated with the force of the impact, knocking pots and pans off the shelves. Tom grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her away from the falling kitchenware, getting hit by a falling pan in the process.

"Bloody hell!" Tom cried in pain, pulling Lyra away from the kitchen and down the hall.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, trying to get a look at his arm.

"Yes, now would you please just come on!" He snarled, pulling her out the door as fast as possible and together the two of them took off across the field at breakneck speed.

Reaching the hatch, Tom bent down and hammered on it urgently with his fist as Lyra fell to her knees, panting. After a moment, the hatch opened up and Billy peered up at them, standing in front of a very angry-looking Mrs. Cole.

"Get in!" Billy cried, and Tom nearly pushed Lyra onto the ladder, her hands and feet slipping on the rails even worse than before until she finally decided to just jump down. Lyra looked up, watching nervously as Tom climbed down when she felt Billy throw his arms around her.

"Lyra, thank god!" Billy cried and Lyra turned to hug him back.

"It's okay, it's okay." She mumbled into his shoulder, pulling back in time to see Tom staring at them, an impassive look on his face. Noticing her gaze, he quickly broke eye-contact with her and slipped away into the corner of the bunker, sitting down far from the other children.

"One minute," Lyra said, pulling away from Billy, "I need to go see if he's okay." She said, turning to leave before Billy could even respond and quickly making her way over to where Tom was sitting.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, sliding down to sit next to him. Tom inched away from her, looking up at her after a moment.

"Reed, you don't have to pretend you care. I know you feel obligated but you should really go back to Billy, he looks like he misses you." Tom said darkly and Lyra followed his gaze to see that Billy was indeed watching them with a somewhat wistful expression on his face. Lyra felt a flicker of pity for Billy but looking back at Tom's face, the feeling was completely dwarfed by the surge of pain she felt at the look of raw emotion on his face. Scrambling around to face him, Lyra stared at him, feeling a wave of unbearable affection and pity for the boy in front of her.

"No, Tom," She said urgently, grabbing and holding onto his hand despite his attempts to pull it away, "I'm not leaving you. I want to stay here with you."

"What if I don't want you here?" Tom asked, almost childishly; his facial expression screaming the opposite.

Lyra shook her head, holding his hand even tighter. "Well, I don't really care if you want me here or not. I'm staying." She said firmly, staring at him defiantly and a look of pain crossed Tom's face before he looked away, unable to meet her eyes.

Scooting even closer to him, Lyra looked over at the arm that had been injured and gently reached out to touch it. "Are you hurt?" She asked and Tom winced at her touch but shook his head.

"No, I'm fine." He said but Lyra shook her head, rolling her eyes at his obstinance and pride.

"Thank you." She said quietly after a moment, "For going back to find me."

Tom made no reply and Lyra let her grip on his hand ease up a bit, happy to find he didn't immediately withdraw his hand.

"You were at the bunker?" Tom asked after a moment, and Lyra nodded.

"Mrs. Cole said you'd gone back for me." She said, "So I went to go find you."

Tom was silent for a moment, his expression far away.

"Thank you." He said, at last, and Lyra felt her chest constrict painfully with emotion. Lord Voldemort - no, Tom Marvolo Riddle - had just thanked her.

"You're welcome." Lyra said quietly, suddenly unable to stop herself from smiling.


	45. You called me Lyra

**Hey everyone, sorry for the huge delay! Hopefully there won't be so much of a wait with the next chapter :)**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling! Enjoy :)**

Lyra had scarcely been sitting for a few minutes before Stevie approached her cautiously, shooting anxious looks in Tom's direction. Tom shot the kid a dark look and Stevie faltered, his eyes looking even more terrified than before. To Tom's great annoyance, however, Lyra noticed him and beckoned him over.

A look of relief flooded Stevie's face before he ran into Lyra's arms, curling up on her lap and hiding his face in her hair. Tom sighed, leaning his head back against the hard wall of the bunker as Lyra fretted over Stevie. He picked up a small stone at his feet and ran his fingers over it, wondering what on earth he had been thinking when he'd decided to go back into the house in the middle of an air raid to find the blonde-haired girl sitting next to him. Well, thought Tom, he hadn't been thinking. That was it.

He'd felt fear, Tom realized. He'd been afraid that Lyra would die and leave him alone in this horrid place. Tom felt a small feeling of revulsion at the thought of how he'd risked his own life just to save hers. He didn't care about her…he didn't, he told himself. It was simply that she was the only other witch in the orphanage. She was simply the only other person whose company he found bearable. It was ironic, Tom thought, that he'd wanted her dead for so long and now he was actively going out of his way to _save_ her.

And then after he'd risked his own life for her, she'd thrown herself into the arms of the charming, sweet, kind, popular, _nauseating_ Billy Stubbs. After he'd done for her what he'd sworn he'd never do for anyone, it had taken her less than a second to forget about him. Tom wished he could forget the way it had felt to see her hug Billy. It had been worse than betrayal…it had been…Tom couldn't put a name on the feeling, and he wasn't certain he wanted to even if he could.

But then she'd noticed him, Tom remembered, his chest constricting painfully at the memory. She'd left Billy and she'd come over and she'd stayed with him even though he tried to push her away. He'd told her he didn't want her and still she'd stayed. Tom felt an unbearable wave of some unknown emotion wash over him, mingled with utter confusion.

Why did she seem to like him? Why did she seem to actually care about him? Was it even real? Tom wasn't yet entirely convinced, but a part of him was beginning to believe it was. And why on earth had she chosen him over the perfect Billy? Billy was the innocent boy whose bunny had been murdered. Tom was the psychotic child who'd murdered the bunny. Billy was the sweet orphan who'd welcomed Lyra despite Amy and Dennis's antics. Tom was the monster who'd murdered his own family in cold blood and made Lyra's life hell for the past 4 months. So why the hell was Lyra sitting next to him and not next to Billy?

Tom tried to crush the small rock between his fingers, only succeeding in hurting himself. But as he was consumed with his own thoughts, he barely even noticed the pain. He felt his body tense as Lyra moved even closer to him, her body leaning slightly against his as Stevie fell asleep in her lap. He could feel her warmth radiating through her nightgown and Tom realized subconsciously that she smelled good. All of a sudden Tom was reminded of the night of the dementor attack – of the feeling of utter peace he'd felt when her patronus had saved his soul from being sucked out. There was something about her, herself, that gave off an echo of the same comforting feeling.

Tom shook his head, feeling disgusted with himself. What was wrong with him? He was rapidly losing control of mind; losing focus. Perhaps separating himself from her was the way to go…but when had Lyra ever let him separate himself from her? Well, Tom thought grimly to himself, she had finally left him alone after she'd slapped him before the Christmas break. Perhaps he could make her hate him, it couldn't be that hard if he really tried…

"Tom?" Lyra whispered, glancing down at the sleeping child in her arms.

Tom was pulled out of his dark reverie and turned to look at her, all previous thoughts vanishing as he did.

"How long do these air raids usually last?" Lyra asked, looking extremely tired.

Tom hesitated, realizing with a start that he didn't want to tell her the truth and watch her already tired face fall. There was most definitely something wrong with him, Tom decided. He would have to do something about it, but that would have to wait until he had some time to think things through alone.

"It depends." Tom said, "Just go to sleep."

Lyra looked down at Stevie and sighed a long, tired sigh. "You should too." She said, looking up at him.

Tom shrugged his shoulders, "I don't need much sleep. I wasn't even asleep when the air raid began."

A look of worry filled Lyra's face and Tom suddenly wished he'd said nothing at all. "How much sleep do you get?" She asked and Tom shook his head.

"Enough." He said dismissively and Lyra's look of worry only deepened.

"How much?" She insisted and Tom sighed.

"Reed, I'm not in the mood for an interrogation." He said exasperatedly.

Lyra sighed in defeat, "Okay," She said quietly, and Tom felt a strange feeling of discomfort at the way he had snapped at her when she had only shown concern for his wellbeing.

"3-4 hours." Tom said quietly, just to make the feeling go away.

Lyra was silent and Tom thought maybe she hadn't heard him when she said, "Rosalie gave me a sleeping potion if you want to borrow it. I wasn't sleeping either because I kept having nightmares about my parents dying."

Tom made no reply, not wanting to talk any more about their sleeping troubles and certainly not about her dead parents. Lyra seemed to realize he was not going to answer and sighed, leaning her head back against the hard wall. Tom looked over and saw her eyes were closed. Seeing as she couldn't see him, Tom took the opportunity to examine her face. Her features were delicate and soft, and her skin looked pale as milk in the dim light of the bunker. She was pretty, Tom thought, and immediately looked away, crushing the rock between his fingers as hard as possible.

It was early morning before the air raid ended and Mrs. Cole ordered the children back into the house. Lyra had long since fallen asleep, her head resting on Tom's shoulder. At first, Tom had tried to push her off but after a while he had given up and simply tried to ignore it – a feat that had been easier said than done.

Tom was surprised to find that he was both relieved and disappointed when Lyra woke up, gathering the still sleeping Stevie into her arms and climbing to her feet.

"What time is it?" Lyra asked sleeping and Tom checked it watch.

"3:30." He said, gesturing towards the open top in the bunker. "You can't climb the ladder with him in your arms."

Lyra sighed and gently woke up Stevie, placing him on his feet. The little boy nearly fell over, rubbing his eyes tiredly as he yawned. Lyra guided him towards the ladder and helped him up before climbing up after him. Tom followed them, closing the hatch behind him as Lyra picked Stevie up again.

By the time they got back to the orphanage, Stevie was asleep once more and Tom found himself wishing he, too, was asleep. Reaching the second floor, Tom turned off to go to his own room as Lyra went to Stevie's room to put him to bed. Tom opened his door and was about to entered when he heard something that sounded suspiciously like singing coming from down the hallway. Closing the door to his own room, Tom walked quietly back to Stevie's room and looked in. Lyra was sitting on the edge of Stevie's bed, singing him a song he had never heard before.

 _Are you going to Scarborough Fair._

 _Parsely, sage, rosemary, and thyme._

 _Remember me to one who lived there._

 _She once was a true love of mine._

"You shouldn't do that." Tom said quietly after Lyra had finished singing and given Stevie a gentle kiss on the forehead. Lyra jumped, not having realized he had been watching.

"Do what?" She whispered, standing up and tiptoeing towards him without waking up Stevie.

"Give him attention like that." Tom said, glancing briefly in Stevie's direction, "He'll get used to it and then when you leave, he'll be upset because no one else will be willing to sing him to sleep."

"So, you're saying it's better he never experiences it at all." Lyra said, raising an eyebrow.

Tom nodded, "Exactly."

Lyra was silent for a moment, looking as if she was thinking deeply, "But what if one day he meets someone who truly cares about him and who's willing to sing him to sleep every night?"

"Well then good for him." Tom said, but Lyra shook her head dismissively.

"Yes, but if he's never once experienced what it feels like to be cared for, then how will he be able to have a healthy relationship with someone who cares about him in the future?" Lyra asked.

At this, Tom scoffed, thinking her argument was incredibly weak, "Yes, but who's to say there ever _will_ be someone who will care about him." Tom retorted, "And besides, is having that kind of a relationship really worth it if the price you have to pay is so high? Do you really want him to go through life holding out false hope that one day someone will give a shit about him when there's a high likelihood no one ever will?"

"I think there is a very high likelihood someone will care about him." Lyra replied, "In fact, I think the other orphans already care about him even if they aren't quite the type to sing him to sleep. And even if they don't and he has to wait until after he leaves this orphanage to find true friends and family, well I think that if you give up hope of ever having a caring relationship with another person, then there's no point in living anymore."

At this Tom felt his chest tighten and a spark of rage ignite inside him though he had no idea why. She was obviously wrong, he knew that. He had never needed anyone else to make his life worth living; in fact, other people had always been the only thing to make life _not_ worth living.

"Why debase yourself to the point where another person's actions and thoughts determine whether your life has a purpose?" Tom snorted, "Love is nothing but weakness."

"I thought you said love didn't exist." Lyra said, looking at him curiously and Tom inwardly cursed himself for letting that slip. He had, in fact, been thinking about her words more than he cared to admit. He had even come to the conclusion that it was likely love did indeed exist. Just because he had never experienced it didn't mean that it didn't exist. If everyone else said it did, who was he to say they were all wrong just because he had no proof to the contrary? Of course, he didn't intend to tell Lyra any of this and give her the satisfaction of winning the argument.

Tom brushed her question away as if it meant nothing, "By love I meant whatever people mistake for love." Tom said.

Lyra's face fell ever so slightly, and Tom felt a flicker of some unknown negative emotion which he quickly pushed to the side.

"Well I think it's worth it." Lyra said, returning to the original topic of discussion, "I think love is worth the pain because it's the only thing that makes life worth living. It's the only thing that makes us truly happy."

Tom's mind involuntarily flashed back for the second time that night to the dementor incident at Hogwarts and his failed attempt to create a patronus and he quickly pushed the unwelcome feelings away.

"Who cares about being happy." Tom sneered, "It's better to do something great with your life. To be someone great."

"What like become a Dark Lord?" Lyra asked, a look of sadness filling her face that Tom found hard to stomach.

Tom sighed, "Reed, I'm tired." He said, turning away from her as he struggled to push away the unpleasant feeling that was spreading through his chest despite his best efforts.

Lyra nodded, yawning herself. "You're right, we should go to sleep. Goodnight, Tom."

"Goodnight, Lyra." Tom said, her first name slipping out before he had time to correct himself. He'd gotten into a habit of thinking of her as Lyra, rather than as Reed. This was one more thing he would have to correct when he got around to it.

Lyra looked at him in surprise, a look of happiness filling her face.

"You called me Lyra." She said and Tom mentally slapped himself for his carelessness.

"Yes, well that is your name isn't it?" He asked dryly and Lyra smirked.

"Yes, it is." She said, "Glad you figured it out."

Tom snorted, a hint of a smile forming on his mouth despite the annoyance he was supposed to feel. Lyra grinned before turning around and walking towards her own room. Halfway down the hallway she stopped and turned around, a look on her face that made Tom apprehensive.

"Thank you, again." She said, "For coming back for me."

Tom looked away, wanting nothing more than to erase her memory of this entire night so she would stop looking at him in that sickeningly grateful way.

"You wouldn't have died anyway." Tom said, "If you'd stayed in here anyway."

Lyra rolled her eyes, "Not the point." She said jokingly and Tom snorted.

"Goodnight, _Reed_." Tom said, emphasizing her last name to show her he wasn't about to give in to her desire to be on a first name basis quite yet.

Lyra tried to give him a withering look but was unable to stop her mouth from curling up in a slight smile.

"Goodnight, Riddle." She said, "Or should I say _My_ _Lord_."

Tom snorted, turning away and opening the door to his room. "Goodnight." He said for the third time, this time with finality, before disappearing into his room and closing the door behind him.


	46. I changed my mind

**Thanks once again for the reviews Elle Light, MeriemDjez, Ai Star, Cassie-011, and Rizalyn Dinoy!**

 **I'm glad you guys think it's happening naturally, it's been hard for me to figure out how to make Tom develop feelings for her without making him OOC! That's partly why this story has been such a slow burn haha**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling. Enjoy!**

* * *

The days following the air raid passed by slowly but rather pleasantly for Lyra. While Tom had been more aloof than usual the morning after the air raid, he had soon given up trying to distance himself from her and Lyra had even managed to convince him to play a few games of chess with her. From what Lyra could gather, he had even enjoyed these games…although that may have had a lot to do with him beating her every time and less to do with the actual game.

The more time she spent with him doing things other than studying or researching rare magical artefacts, the more Lyra saw a different side of him. While Tom Riddle could never be described as anything resembling "light", Lyra had seen him crack a few genuine smiles during some of their chess games. They had also begun to talk about more casual topics and Lyra now knew a small range of random facts about Tom that she doubted anyone else had ever cared to learn. She now knew, for example, that Tom did not like tea, tomatoes, or the snow and that he had once been bitten by a bee on his hand and it had become so swollen, he had had trouble holding a pencil for a week.

Another thing Lyra had noticed recently was that Tom was incredibly observant. Technically, she had always known this, but lately she had noticed that he had become increasingly observant of her. He had begun to point out things she said and analyze them out loud and Lyra felt almost as if she were under a microscope. It was as if in the absence of school, Tom had taken a break from studying magic and had begun studying _her_.

After the air raid, Lyra noticed a subtle shift in how the other orphans saw her. While they were still plenty nice to her, they treated her with a little bit more caution – especially when Tom was around. Billy still spent time with her, but he made sure to never bring up Tom and was quick to disappear whenever Tom appeared. Lyra guessed they had all decided that she was friends with Tom after all and perhaps they had a little bit of trouble trusting someone who was friends with the boy who had traumatized them so much in their childhood. Amy and Dennis, at least, had completely ceased talking to her altogether and generally behaved as if she didn't exist. This suited Lyra perfectly well and she made sure to return the favour and ignore them as well.

Before she knew it, Christmas day was just around the corner and Lyra had not thought at all about who she was getting presents for and what they would be getting. She supposed she ought to send something to Rosalie and Elaina for sure, but she wasn't sure what to get them. She also wanted to get Tom something but again, she was unsure what to get him. Then there were Billy, Stevie, and some of the other orphans she had been spending time with…Lyra wondered just how much money she had left and whether it would be enough to even buy Christmas presents for everyone. She had of course, just spent all her money on blankets for the orphanage and luminous balloons for people who wouldn't even appreciate them. Remembering the luminous balloons, Lyra decided that she would give the second one to Billy and that way she wouldn't have to spend more money on another gift.

As she thought through her list of friends, her mind wandered back to Conan and Lyra felt a surge of discomfort when she remembered her friend who had disappeared without a trace. Had he joined Grindelwald after all? Lyra wondered. Had he managed to save his sister? Had he given the cloak to Grindelwald? Was he even _alive_? Grindelwald had been curiously silent as of late and Lyra wondered worriedly whether it had anything to do with Conan.

Lyra shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. No good would come from thinking about Conan when she couldn't do anything to help him and she had no idea where he was.

" _Move_." Tom complained impatiently and Lyra nodded, refocusing her attention on the chess board.

Cautiously, she moved her pawn up one and Tom smirked triumphantly.

"Check mate." He said smugly, moving his queen diagonally until it was directly in front of her king. "You were even worse this time than usual."

Lyra stuck out her tongue at him and began packing up the pieces as Tom watched her carefully.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, "You weren't even paying attention to the game."

"Conan." Lyra replied truthfully and Tom's face darkened.

"He gave the cloak to Grindelwald, Reed." Tom said with an air of certainty that made Lyra bristle with annoyance. He couldn't know that, he _couldn't_. "It's obvious. Why else would he disappear into thin air? Clearly Grindelwald didn't let his sister go when he gave him the ring and recruited him to help him with the cloak. Now he's either dead, serving Grindelwald permanently, or in hiding somewhere."

Lyra felt a shiver run through her at the callous way Tom shrugged when he suggested her friend may indeed be dead.

"What if he stole it so that Grindelwald couldn't get it." Lyra suggested and Tom snorted derisively.

"Because that would be stupid and suicidal and if he wanted to stop Grindelwald from getting it, he would have left it at Hogwarts where Grindelwald can't reach it." Tom said and Lyra had to admit he was likely right.

"Then why isn't Grindelwald attacking?" Lyra asked. "If he has all three Deathly Hallows…he's immortal, isn't he? Why not attack Britain?"

Tom shrugged, "Dumbledore?" He suggested, "Also, it's not enough for him to be immortal, his forces need to be strong enough to win when he attacks."

Lyra hummed quietly to herself for a minute and Tom gave her a strange look, "Stop thinking about it. Who cares if he conquers Britain anyway? We're half-bloods."

Lyra shot him a dark look, "I don't want to live in some puritanical pureblood society run by a crazy dictator who killed my parents." She snapped, thinking of the future she had left behind. It would indeed be ironic for her to come back in time only to find that another pureblood supremacist dictator was trying to conquer Britain. She would have escaped the war against Voldemort only to find herself in the midst of one against Grindelwald. For everyone's sake, Lyra hoped that she hadn't changed history too much and that Grindelwald stayed out of the country like he was supposed to. She hardly wanted to be responsible for a military invasion.

"Why don't you just leave then?" Tom suggested and for a wild second Lyra thought he was referring to the time period before she realized he probably meant the country.

"This is my home." Lyra said as if it were obvious. _And I can't leave you because then I would have messed up all of history for nothing_ , she added silently.

Tom snorted, "I thought Albania was your home."

Lyra bit her tongue and mentally slapped herself. "This is my real home." She admitted, "I never really felt like I belonged in Albania. I always wanted to move back here."

Tom examined her carefully and Lyra had the uncanny feeling he thought there was something fishy about her Albania backstory.

"What do you want for Christmas?" Lyra asked suddenly to change the topic.

Tom raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat surprised.

"I want the Deathly Hallows you lost me." He said and Lyra shot him a withering look.

"Okay fine, no present for you." She said and Tom scoffed.

"As if you were actually going to get me anything." He said, a slight edge to his voice that made Lyra look over at him.

"I'm just kidding." She said, "I'm going to get you something. I just don't know what, so feel free to give me suggestions."

"I'm not getting you anything though." Tom said, raising an eyebrow and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"No offense, but I didn't expect you to." She said.

Tom made no reply, opting instead to stand up, looking as if he was ready to go.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, do you want to go to Diagon Alley?" Lyra asked before he could leave.

"What for?" Tom asked and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Presents, obviously." She said and Tom gave her a pointed look.

"No." He said shortly, making his way towards the door.

"You don't want to buy your loyal followers something nice? You know…like a set of embroidered dog collars?" Lyra asked, her eyes glinting mischievously, and Tom snorted.

"If you want to maintain control of someone, it's important to give them the illusion of free will." Tom said, raising an eyebrow.

"You've really thought this through." Lyra said; baffled and disconcerted once again by the amount of time and effort Tom had put into building his network of followers that would one day become the Death Eaters.

Tom shrugged, "It's just common sense, really." He said, smirking slightly before opening the door and slipping out of the study room.

* * *

Christmas Eve morning passed rather uneventfully as Lyra planned out the gifts she would give to her friends. For Stevie, she bought a small pack of never-ending crayons, for Elaina, she bought a bound journal, for Rosalie she bought a hair styling kit with 3 different potions, and for the other orphans she bought the ingredients necessary for cookies to make on Christmas day. Only Tom remained and Lyra had next to no clue what to get him. A book had been the first thing she thought of, but she had no idea which books he liked. She knew he already had a journal, she'd seen it in his room, she wasn't sure he would like it very much if she got him a pet, and she certainly didn't want to get him anything that could inadvertently speed up his transformation into Voldemort. Sighing, Lyra decided she would just have to drag him into Diagon Alley one day and force him to pick something out.

It was almost dusk when Lyra returned from her Christmas shopping to find that the atmosphere in the orphanage had finally brightened up. The younger kids were running around, beyond excited for Christmas, and the older kids were busy playing games and making homemade Christmas decorations.

Lyra quickly brought her purchases upstairs and wrapped them before sending Elaina and Rosalie's presents off by owl. She then stuffed Billy and Stevie's gifts in her closet before running down the stairs again, eager to join in the fun.

"Lyra!" Billy called, gesturing for her to come over to a table where he was playing a boardgame with a group of older children. Lyra recognized Jo and David and was quickly introduced to Tracy, Susie, and Philip as she took a seat at the table.

"We're playing Chinese Checkers, want to join in on the next game?" Billy asked and Lyra nodded, watching as they finished the first game.

The game was long and by the time they began the second game, it was already dark out and Mrs. Cole had ordered long since ordered the younger children to bed. Silence had fallen on the room and Lyra had begun to wonder where Tom was. It wasn't surprising he didn't want to play games with the other children, but Lyra missed him, nonetheless. She wondered whether she should go find him but seeing as the next game had already started and she was already a part of it, she thought it would be rude to leave right now.

As they played, Lyra let her mind drift back to Tom and she became ever more anxious to know what he was doing all alone on Christmas eve. She felt bad for not having bought him anything for Christmas when she'd promised him she would get him something. Then again, he hadn't gotten her anything either and it was better to wait and let him pick out his own present than get him something he wouldn't even like.

"It's your turn." Billy said, gesturing towards the board and Lyra was jolted out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Right." Lyra said, reaching for the board. Her hand stopped halfway as she heard footsteps from the hallway. Looking to her left, she saw the tall figure of Tom Riddle walk past the door to the living room quickly. Lyra heard the front door open and close and felt something twist painfully inside her. Where was he going on Christmas eve? Nothing was open, no one was out…what could he possibly be doing?

"Lyra?" Billy asked, "What are you-"

"I'm sorry how about you just take me out of the game." Lyra said, standing up, "I just saw Riddle leave and I just think I should go see if he's okay and everything seeing as it's Christmas Eve and-"

"We're in the middle of a game!" Susie exclaimed, "You can't just leave. Especially not for bloody _Riddle_ of all people." She said angrily.

"I'm sorry but I have to go." Lyra said, turning and running out of the room before they could protest any more.

Grabbing her coat off the hook on the wall, Lyra quickly stuffed her feet into her winter boots, throwing a scarf around her neck. Her hands shaking, Lyra pulled open the door and felt a gust of cold wind hit her in the face. Shivering already, Lyra closed the door behind her and took off down the path towards the gate, following Tom's footsteps.

She could see his dark silhouette up ahead and ran to catch up with him.

"Tom!" Lyra called out, panting as she finally caught up to him.

Tom gave her a slightly irritated look out of the corner of his eye and kept walking. Lyra bit her tongue, resisting the urge to ask him where he was going and for once allowed him the silence he seemed to love so much. Pulling mittens out of her pockets, Lyra put them on her hands, rubbing them together as she shivered in the cold.

They walked in silence for a while, following the winding streets of a deserted London and Lyra realized with a sense of shock that, surprisingly, Tom had not protested her company. Sure, he had given her a dirty look when she had arrived, but he had soon retreated into his own inner world, ignoring Lyra altogether. While most people would find being ignored offensive, coming from Tom, it was almost a compliment.

Lyra looked around herself at the war-torn city. It was Christmas eve and the city was nearly deserted, everyone having gone home to be with their families. It was sadly fitting, Lyra thought, that the only ones not at home were her and Tom - after all, they had no family to go home to.

They passed piles of rumble as they walked and Lyra shivered involuntarily as she thought of the air raids. The bunker behind the orphanage was hardly deep enough; if they were to get hit, they would be unlikely to escape unharmed. The sheer injustice of it make Lyra sick to her stomach. She had never realized how lucky she had been, growing up in a warm, safe, loving home with both of her parents. At the thought of her parents, Lyra felt a stab of pain and once again, she felt her eyes water. This was the first Christmas she'd ever spent without them. Lost in nostalgic memories, Lyra realized it had been around Christmas time that she had first found the stone and met Tom. While she had been living in that paradise that had been her childhood, he had been stuck at Wool's Orphanage surrounded by Muggles who hated and feared him.

Lyra felt her heart cry for the little boy she remembered and even more so for the older boy walking next to her. She couldn't help feel that if someone had been there, if someone had cared about him, he would never have become Lord Voldemort. Never in a million years would he have been able to murder if he knew the value of human love. Lyra glanced sideways at him and was once again baffled by the normalcy of him. His face was pensive and tranquil; he did not look like a future Dark Lord.

Noticing her gaze, Tom looked up and met her eyes and the tranquility of his face was replaced with an intensity that made Lyra's stomach do flip flops. Without thinking, Lyra quickly looked away, her heart beating out of control. What was wrong with her? She was being so awkward.

She could still feel Tom's gaze on her as she blushed, her cheeks turning her more crimson than they already were because of the cold.

"Are you coming?" Tom asked, and Lyra looked up in confusion, realizing they had stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron.

"Oh." She said, "Sure."

Following Tom up the steps, Lyra felt a wave of relief rush over her as they stepped into the warm tavern, full of wizards and witches drinking and laughing with one another.

Tom led the way to the back of the tavern and tapped on the bricks that revealed the entrance to Diagon Alley. Lyra looked at him quizzically, but said nothing, following down the empty cobblestone road of Diagon Alley. All the shops were closed and Lyra realized with a sense of shock she had never been in Diagon Alley without it being full of people. It was so deserted their footsteps rang on the cobblestone road as they walked.

Lyra paused, a bad feeling coming over her as Tom stopped in front of the entrance to Nocturne Alley and turned back to look at her. He raised an eyebrow and Lyra gulped, nodding anyway. Tom turned his back on her and led the way down the ever-darkening street. Lyra hurried to catch up to him and walked closely beside him, looking around herself apprehensively.

"Ooh lookie, lookie here! What's a little princess doing in here at this time of night." An old hag called, and Lyra instinctively moved closely to Tom, looking at him in alarm.

"Ignore her." Tom said indifferently, and Lyra thought privately that that was easier said than done.

At last, they arrived outside a dingy looking bookstore and Lyra followed Tom inside. The interior was filled with piles upon piles of old and tattered books interspersed between shelves of more old an tattered books. Tom nodded to the woman at the checkout counter; a grey-haired witch with long fingernails that scraped the counter as she shuffled around papers.

Lyra smiled tentatively at the woman but the woman ignored her, returning her attention to her work. Slightly uneasy, Lyra followed Tom up a flight of creaky stairs to a small room full of more books and a few old couches and armchairs. Tom disappeared into the shelves of books and Lyra looked around at the books in front of her. From the looks of them, they were mostly all Dark Arts books that would be banned at Hogwarts, or at least relegated to the restricted section of the library. Lyra picked up a volume on the various uses of human skulls in magical rituals and sat down on one of the dingy couches, flipping through the book.

After a few moments, Tom returned with a small black book and sat down on the armchair opposite Lyra. He looked at the cover of the book in her hands and smirked.

"Interesting reading choice." He remarked.

Lyra laughed, looking up at him, "What are you reading about? How to raise an army of the dead or torture people telepathically or something?"

Tom snorted, "Close enough." He said, opening his book and leaning back in his armchair.

Lyra squinted to read the title on the book he was reading and Tom noticed, looking up at her again. "Why did you come?" He asked, his face impassive.

Lyra shrugged, taken aback by the suddenness of his question, "Because it's Christmas Eve and I didn't want you to spend it alone." She said, and Tom's face immediately darkened.

"Well isn't that charitable of you." Tom sneered, and Lyra immediately regretted her words. Of course he would be offended by any insinuation that she felt pity for him.

"I wanted to spend Christmas Eve with you." Lyra corrected herself, but it was too late. Tom returned his attention to his book, his face glowering even as he read.

"Tom." Lyra said after a moment, "I really did - do - want to spend it with you. I was in the middle of a board game with Billy, Jo, Tracy, and Susie and I just got up and left to come follow you. I-"

"Reed." Tom said dangerously, "Just- just be quiet. Please." He said, returning his attention to his book.

Lyra sighed, leaning back on the couch. There had been peace between them and then she had gone and ruined it by making it seem as if she was just treating him like a charity case.

Unable to focus on her book, she got up and roamed the shelves of books. Realizing it would be impossible to read when she was distracted by too many troubling thoughts, Lyra sighed and began roaming the bookstore. As she walked through the dusty shelves, Lyra felt a wave of sadness wash over her as her nostalgia for happier Christmases turned to grief. Spotting a dusty window in the back of the bookstore, Lyra quickly walked over to it and sat down on the windowsill, letting memories of her family wash over her for the first time in a long time. For once, she didn't push the memories away and distract herself from the emotions; instead, she let herself be overcome with sadness. Images of her mother and father swam before her eyes and memories of her old life filled her mind as she let the tears fall unimpeded. _They're gone_ , Lyra thought to herself over and over again, the horror of it making her want to scream. Instead, she just kept crying, not even bothering to wipe away the tears as they fell.

In her grief, she had completely forgotten Tom was even in the room until she spotted him watching her from among the rows of books. Lyra wondered what he would think if he knew he was the one responsible for her tears. She wondered if she'd ever tell him the truth.

Finally wiping the tears from her eyes, Lyra gestured for Tom to come over. The dark-haired boy hesitated, looking apprehensive, but came over slowly at last.

"You miss your parents." Tom said. It wasn't a question.

Lyra stared at him, surprised by how certain he was. "How did you know?"

"All the new orphans cry the first time they spend Christmas without their parents." Tom said, shrugging. "They usually get over it the next time around."

Lyra wondered whether there would be a next time around or if she would finally, one day, succeed in changing the timeline enough to bring her parents back to life. The problem was doing that required either killing, restraining, or changing the boy in front of her. He held her parents' lives in the palm of his hand and he didn't even know it.

Lyra remained silent and Tom stared at her, for once, looking slightly unsure about what to do.

"This is why you shouldn't love anyone." Tom said after a moment and Lyra was about to roll her eyes when she turned to look at him. This was the second time that week that he'd spoken about love as if it existed. Had he changed his mind, after all?

"I thought you said love doesn't exist." Lyra said, once again.

This time, to her great surprise, Tom looked away and shrugged, "I changed my mind." He said quietly and Lyra stared at him in shock.

"What? _Why?_ " She asked incredulously.

Tom shrugged, looking mildly annoyed, "Well technically I have no proof it _does_ exist." He said, "But I realized that if almost everyone agrees it exists then it's likely it does. Just because I've never experienced it doesn't mean I should think everyone else is wrong."

Lyra stared at him as if he had two heads; shock drowning out the sadness she was feeling. Perhaps…Lyra thought after a moment…perhaps there was hope. If she had managed to convinced Tom that love did in fact exist…who was to say she couldn't also convince him of other things?

"Don't think this means I think love is any less useless." Tom said, "I still think people are better off without it. It causes far too many problems and gives so little value."

At this, Lyra actually laughed, "You know it's a form of magic right?" She asked and Tom raised an eyebrow.

"Self-sacrificial love can save a person's life." Lyra said, thinking of Harry and Voldemort, "It even works against the killing curse."

At this, Tom's eyes narrowed, and he examined her carefully, "You're lying." He said, reminding Lyra very much of his younger self.

"I'm not." Lyra insisted, "My mother told me this story once – a true story – of a boy she knew who'd survived the killing curse. His mother stepped in front of him and took her curse herself in order to protect him. By dying for him, her love put a magic shield around him so that when the killer tried to kill him, the curse backfired and hit the killer instead."

"Is this some kind of legend?" Tom sneered and Lyra shook her head vehemently.

"No, I swear, this happened. My mother knew the boy." Lyra said and Tom examined her carefully.

"If this really happened, the case would be documented." Tom said after a moment.

Lyra shrugged, "I don't know, maybe it is." She said, "I don't know the boy's name or where it happened though, but maybe we can find it in the library at Hogwarts."

This lie seemed to satisfy Tom and he looked away, his face deep in thought.

"Wait so…was the boy immortal?" Tom asked suddenly, looking over at Lyra curiously, "Was he just protected in that instant? Or did the protection last his entire life?"

"He was protected from that one, specific killer forever." Lyra said.

"Fascinating." Tom said, ironically looking incredibly intrigued by the story he didn't know was about himself.

"Would this magic work if the person sacrificing themselves was under the imperious curse?" Tom asked after a moment, and Lyra gave him a strange look.

"Under the imperious curse?" Lyra asked, confused.

"Yes," Tom said impatiently, "Say for example I put you under the imperious curse and made you sacrifice your life to save me, would that protect me?"

"Umm…I'm not sure." Lyra said, "I don't think so."

"What if the person was given a love potion that made them want to sacrifice their life for me?" Tom asked eagerly and Lyra began to wonder whether she should have never told him this story.

"I doubt it would work. I think you need actual love to be present, but I don't really know." Lyra said, looking at him warily.

"I'll just have to conduct some experiments then." Tom said and Lyra's eyes flew open in horror.

"Experiments!?" Lyra asked.

"If this magic really exists and if it can be replicated using the imperious curse or a love potion-" Tom continued, ignoring her question altogether.

"What experiments, Tom!?" Lyra asked, once again. She was truly beginning to regret telling him this story now.

"Imagine what would happen if I had an entire army full of people who were drugged with a love potion so when they inevitably died for me in battle, I would be forever protected from whoever killed them. I would be essentially immortal." Tom said and Lyra closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the window. Whatever hope she had had a minute ago was now crushed.

"I told you this story to show you how powerful love can be, and all you got from it was an idea for a weapon of mass murder." Lyra said, opening her eyes and looking at Tom.

Tom raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk creeping onto his face, "This information you've given me could potentially save my life." He said, "I thought you _cared_ about me." He sneered.

Lyra gave him a withering look, "You're an incredibly difficult person to care about." She said truthfully and something in Tom's smirk faltered.

"Then why bother?" He asked and Lyra was silent for a moment.

"I can't not." Lyra said, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious. Why did Tom care anyway? It wasn't as if he cared about her as well. Except for when he risked his life to save hers…

Lyra felt the heat rush into her cheeks at the memory and she quickly tried to push the feelings away, "Life was easier when I hated you." She said, forcing herself to look up at him.

"You should hate me." Tom said, "If self-sacrificial love really is a form of magic then that just further proves that love is weakness. The person who loves ends up dead while the person loved becomes immortal. Loving another person is letting them have power over you. In fact, caring about another person at all lets them have power over you."

"What if the other person loves you back?" Lyra suggested and Tom shrugged.

"Then whoever loves the other person more is at a disadvantage." Tom said.

Lyra nodded slowly, "Possibly…but what if the love is equal?"

Tom scoffed, "That's not possible."

"How would _you_ know?" Lyra asked. "Also how do you even know love is measurable? Maybe it's just a thing that you either feel or don't feel."

"Well shouldn't you know?" Tom asked acerbically, "You're the one who's actually experienced it before. How can you not understand it?"

"In the same way you can listen to a piece of music and hum the tune without understanding the science of how the music is produced." Lyra said and Tom fell silent, seeming to accept her answer.

Lyra stared at him, suddenly wanting nothing more than to hug him. She remembered the way his arms had felt around her the night of the bombing…the way his hand had felt in hers…

Lyra was jolted from her reverie by the sound of the clock tower. It was midnight.

"Happy Christmas, Tom." Lyra said, smiling sadly as she privately wished her parents a happy Christmas as well.


	47. I don't care

**Wow that was a long wait, I'm so sorry! Things are really starting to progress in this chapter so hopefully that makes it worth it? Maybe?**

 **Thanks for the reviews everyone!**

 **XsandraX, yeah there's a lot of steps forwards and back coming up as well haha**

 **Lisette,Sage, thanks so much! This chapter is kind of a turning point in their relationship...**

 **Sabcal, get ready for some more fluff lol**

 **Elle Light, haha I'm glad you liked that part. I find it amusing writing Tom's view on the world because it's so radically different from most peoples'.**

 **Cassie-011, yea he is very much in denial...**

 **MeriemDjez, haha yea she is giving Tom anxiety too.**

 **SylvesterTheCat, that would be super cute! She probably can't at 16 though but maybe one day...**

 **Ai Star, yeah it may get worse...**

 **KreepyKween, thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well even though it's so late!**

 **alleya02, thank you so much! That's a really sweet review. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

After Tom went back to his book, Lyra decided she could hold off sleep no longer and returned to the couch and plopped herself back down on it. Tom shot her a look over the top of his book as Lyra curled up and lay down on the couch.

"Reed, what are you doing?" Tom asked, as if speaking to a misbehaving child and Lyra shrugged.

"Going to sleep." She said, knowing full well she would never be able to sleep.

"Why don't you just go home if you're going to go to sleep?" Tom pointed out and Lyra shook her head vehemently.

"No, I want to stay here." She insisted, "Just ignore me and read your book." She said, rolling over and over on the couch, trying to get comfortable.

Tom raised an eyebrow, the slightest hint of amusement in his expression, but went back to his book as she had requested. Before long, Lyra drifted off to sleep, exhausted. It wasn't until the sun was peeking over the horizon that she woke up and realized she had slept soundly the entire night long. Yawning and stretching, Lyra looked over at Tom to find him still awake and reading.

"Did you not sleep at all?" Lyra asked, feeling both worried and impressed by his ability to read all night long.

Tom looked up at her and slowly closed his book, "It's about time you woke up. I'm starving." He said.

Lyra rolled her eyes and shook her head as she sat up, realizing her hair must resemble a bird's nest. "Happy Christmas." She said, smiling.

Tom made no reply, standing up and making his way over to the stairs.

"Do you want that book?" Lyra asked, suddenly realizing she still had no Christmas present for him.

Tom looked over at her in confusion, "What?"

"I can buy you that book as a Christmas present." Lyra said and Tom snorted.

"I was going to steal it anyway, so what's the point?" He sneered, shrinking the book and putting it in his pocket.

Lyra rolled her eyes, "I'll pay for it." She insisted and Tom shook his head.

"Don't. It's a waste of money." He retorted but Lyra shook her head.

"I'm buying it." She said, pushing past him down the stairs until she reached the counter.

"Reed-" Tom began, but Lyra ignored him instead turning to the woman at the counter.

"How much for…" Lyra tried to remember the title of the book Tom had been reading, "…The Nightly Guide to Necromancy...or something like that?"

"You mean The Nightshade Guide to Necromancy?" The woman replied dryly and Lyra shrugged.

"I think so?" She said and the woman behind the counter sighed exasperatedly.

"23 sickles." The woman said and Lyra quickly produced the change, eager to escape the grim bookstore.

Tom glared at her as they emerged out onto the street and Lyra gave him a pointed look. "What?" She asked.

"I told you not to buy it." He snapped and Lyra shrugged.

"I know." She replied somewhat defiantly, "But this is better than stealing."

Tom snorted, rolling his eyes but thankfully letting it go. They walked in silence for a while, exiting the Leaky Cauldron and walking along the unusually quiet London streets. The hush that had fallen over the city the night before had extended into morning and Lyra found it incredibly calming.

As the orphanage came into view, Lyra felt, rather than saw, Tom tense beside her and wished there was somewhere else they could stay.

"What happens now?" She asked as they climbed the front steps of the orphanage.

"What do you mean what happens now?" Tom asked.

"Is there a Christmas celebration or something or...?" Lyra trailed off as she pushed open the door and heard the sound of children's voices laughing and talking in the play room. Was something already going on?

Lyra quickly took off her boots and walked down the hall, eager to see what was going on. Peeking into the room, she saw that virtually all the children and Mrs. Cole had congregated in the play room and were busy opening comparing what gifts had been placed in the stockings that now lined the far right wall. Lyra frowned in confusion, not having seen any stocking hung up the night before. Where had all the presents come from?

"Lyra!" Billy cried, noticing her in the doorway, "Come over here and open your stocking!" He said, holding up a bright red stocking.

Lyra frowned in confusion, walking over to where Billy was standing, "I have a stocking? Where did these even come from?"

"Every year gifts are donated to the orphanage and Mrs. Cole puts them in these stockings for us." Billy said, "I thought I told you this? When I told you about how...how you know...Tom..."

Billy trailed off, looking as if he regretted bringing up Tom and Lyra glanced back towards the door, realizing she had momentarily forgotten about Tom in her excitement. To her surprise, she saw him leaning in the doorway, watching the scene with an impassive look on his face. Tearing her eyes away from him before he noticed her staring, Lyra turned to Billy, about to ask for Tom's stocking as well when she realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach that perhaps he still didn't get a present.

"What about Tom?" Lyra asked Billy under her breath and Billy hesitated, looking uncomfortable.

"Lyra, let's discuss this later." Billy muttered but Lyra shook her head.

"Billy, what about Tom?" Lyra repeated, more firmly this time.

Billy shook his head mutely, "He doesn't- he doesn't get anything. Ever since...well you know..."

Lyra felt something inside her twist painfully and she felt her temper flare.

"Is Tom _always_ the only one who never gets a gift?" Lyra asked, feeling anger mount inside her.

"Lyra..." Billy pleaded, shooting anxious glances over at Mrs. Cole.

"These gifts are given to the orphanage by an outside patron. She doesn't have the _right_ to not distribute them fairly!" Lyra snarled, grabbing the stocking she had received and turning to march over to the matron. Billy caught her arm, a panicked look in his eye.

"Lyra, don't." He warned, "She might kick you out. Especially after last time."

"What?" Lyra asked furiously, "The time Amy and Dennis set my bed on fire and framed me for it? I don't care if she kicks me out." Lyra snapped, turning to make her way over to Mrs. Cole.

She came up behind the woman and was about to tap her angrily on the back when she felt a firm hand land on her arm. Lyra turned to tell Billy to stop and looked up into the dark eyes of Tom Riddle.

"Come." He snarled, pulling her away from Mrs. Cole. Lyra opened her mouth to protest but closed it again as he pulled her even more quickly out of the room and out into the hallway. Pulling her into the empty study room, Tom closed the door behind them before rounding on her.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" Tom snarled and Lyra stared at him in confusion despite the anger still pumping through her veins.

"I was going to tell that pathetic excuse for a matron she should be fired." Lyra replied angrily and Tom squeezed his eyes shut as if trying to control his own temper.

"And what did you expect to achieve by doing that?" Tom ground out when he opened his eyes again.

Lyra shrugged, "Satisfaction?" She suggested and Tom let out a sigh of exasperation.

"You would have been out on the street before you had time to blink." Tom snapped.

"It's not fair the way they treat you." Lyra said firmly, making Tom's face darken even more.

"I'm not a victim." Tom snarled dangerously, but Lyra shook her head.

"Amy and Dennis still get presents even though they're horrible. I bet the other kids who used to bully you still got presents when they were here-" Lyra began, but Tom cut her off.

"No Reed, you don't understand." Tom snapped, a dangerous look entering his eyes, "They are right to be afraid of me and they are right to hate me. The things I've done to them…they're unforgivable. I murdered Billy's rabbit and felt nothing. I nearly killed Amy and Dennis and felt nothing. Do you want to know why Amy and Dennis chose to set your bed on fire? It was because I set the bed of an older boy on fire shortly before I first went to Hogwarts. He just barely escaped with second degree burns and again, I felt nothing. That's not true. I did feel something – it was…what did you call it? _Satisfaction_."

"Yes, but would you really have done any of these things if the other kids had treated you like a freaking human being?" Lyra retorted, and Tom stopped short.

Tom was silent for a moment before shaking his head, "Does it matter?" He ground out and Lyra nodded vehemently.

"Of course, it matters." Lyra said, "If the answer is yes, then you're cruel and possibly psychopathic. If the answer is no, then you're vindictive and angry but not inherently cruel. So…which is it?" Lyra asked, staring pointedly at him and Tom opened his mouth to respond and then shut it again, a dark look of frustration filling his face.

"I don't know." He said finally, with a raw honesty that was so rare for him.

Lyra nodded silently and Tom stared back at her as if trying to read her.

"Do you care?" He asked, an edge to his voice that Lyra had never heard before and she was silent for a moment, unsure whether she did, in fact, care whether Tom was a psychopath or not.

"I-I…don't know." She stammered and Tom's face immediately darkened, and he looked away.

Lyra shook her head, suddenly feeling emotional, "You saved me." She said quietly, "You put yourself in danger to save me. You helped me when I had a concussion. You try to encourage me to pursue a good career path." She said and Tom snorted derisively.

"You leave out all the horrible things I've done to you." He said, "Remember how you slapped me right before Christmas break? You didn't think I was so great then."

"That's because you weren't." Lyra said, rolling her eyes, "You weren't, but now, you are."

"I'm not a good person, Lyra." Tom said and Lyra shrugged, shaking her head. "If you could read my mind, you'd turn around and run right out that door and never come back. I am capable of things…things you couldn't even imagine."

Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine as she thought of Voldemort and snorted. Oh yes, she could imagine the things he was capable of.

"What like torturing people into insanity for the fun of it and committing genocide?" Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow and Tom snorted.

"Well that's oddly specific but I don't see any reason why I shouldn't do exactly that." He said.

"Well maybe that's because no one's ever given you a reason not to." Lyra said.

"Then give me one." Tom said and Lyra stared at him in shock, unable to respond.

"Well?" Tom asked once more as Lyra struggled to find her voice again.

"If you become Lord Voldemort, you'll never be happy." Lyra said, knowing full well he would not think this was a valid reason.

As expected, Tom snorted, "I will never be happy either way."

Lyra felt her heart break at these words, "How do you know?" She asked.

Tom shrugged, "Nothing makes me happy. Things amuse me and entertain me…I enjoy certain things…but nothing has made me happy enough to produce a patronus. I doubt that is going to change."

"What do you enjoy the most?" Lyra asked and Tom gave her a strange look.

"You really want to know?" He asked and Lyra nodded.

"Hurting people." He said and Lyra felt a chill run down her spine, "Controlling them and making them do what I want. Getting what I want in general…I enjoy this." Tom said, raising an eyebrow and Lyra had the uncanny impression she was being tested. He was trying to see if she would run away or freak out, Lyra realized. Well, she wasn't, Lyra told herself. She already knew the worst of him, after all. Careful to keep her expression nonchalant, Lyra nodded as if this were perfectly understandable.

"Because you hate them." Lyra said and Tom eyed her carefully, his expression unreadable. "People, I mean. You hate them all."

Tom was silent for a moment before nodding slowly.

"Do you hate me?" Lyra asked, trying to ignore the way her heartbeat increased as she waited for his reply.

Tom hesitated, looking as if he was thinking deeply before finally shaking his head, "No." He said at last and Lyra suddenly felt as if she'd stepped outside on a warm summer day.

"Why don't you hate me?" Lyra asked, wondering how much she could push him to reveal before he inevitably put his walls back up and shut her out again.

At this, Tom suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable before his face shut off, all traces of emotion being wiped clean and Lyra sighed inwardly. She had pushed her luck too far apparently.

"Do you want to play chess?" Tom asked, glancing towards the chess board and completely changing the subject. Lyra sighed out loud this time.

"You're not going to answer the question?" Lyra pressed, figuring at this point she had nothing to lose.

Tom let out a sigh of exasperation, his face darkening, "Why are you suddenly in such need of an ego boost?" He asked, "I never thought you were one to fish for compliments, but I guess I was wrong."

Lyra sighed, trying to ignore the hurt she felt at his stinging comments. "Okay, okay," She said, putting up her hands in surrender, "Let's just go play chess then."

Tom shook his head, glaring at her, "I'm not a puzzle for you to solve for your own amusement." He snapped, "And I don't appreciate being interrogated."

Lyra faltered, taken aback by his abrupt change in demeanor. "You told me to give you a reason why you shouldn't become Voldemort."

"I _am_ Voldemort." Tom snarled, "And the sooner you understand that the better. We are not _friends_ , I do not _like_ you, I _tolerate_ you. And one day, if you prove you are no longer useful to me, I will dispose of you."

"I don't believe you." Lyra replied, trying to hide the hurt she felt, "You saved-"

"Yes, and I'm beginning to regret it." Tom snapped and Lyra felt her hurt harden into anger.

"Why?" Lyra snapped, "Because I ask questions you don't want to answer? You say love is weakness? I think being unable to face your own emotions is weakness."

"I don't _have_ emotions." Tom snarled and Lyra found this so ridiculous she actually laughed out loud despite the fury running through her veins.

"Then why are you so angry all the time?" Lyra snarled viciously and Tom opened his mouth to reply and then shut it again, his dark eyes burning with the emotions he supposedly didn't have.

"Okay fine you want to know why I saved you?" Tom growled, "It was because if you died then I would be exposed. Remember that little trick you and Conan played on me earlier this semester? Well it worked. Now I'm required to go around saving you incompetent fool so that I don't end up in Azkaban!"

Lyra felt the air go out of her as she stared at him, feeling like she had been punched in the gut. It was true...wasn't it? She thought to herself. She had completely forgotten she had blackmailed him into letting her live by charming a vial full of incriminating memories to appear on Dumbledore's desk when she died. But he hadn't forgotten. Of course, he hadn't. How had she ever been foolish enough to believe he actually cared about her? How had she been so naïve and stupid and- and-

Suddenly Lyra felt an insane urge to cry as the anger she had been feeling evaporated, leaving behind nothing but a feeling of utter betrayal. She had trusted him. She had cared about him. She had truly come to believe he wasn't as bad as she'd initially thought...

Before the tears could escape her eyes, Lyra turned around, quickly walking towards the door and slipping out into the hallway. She had to get away. She had to get away from him, from here, from everything. The only problem was...she had nowhere to go. She was alone in this world in a time period that wasn't her own with no family to speak of except a teenaged grandmother who had her own family issues to deal with.

Feeling overwhelming despair and loneliness threaten to consume her, Lyra let the tears fall, running towards the stairwell as she did. She needed to be alone. If she couldn't leave then she needed to at the very least hide in her room until it was time for Hogwarts again.

She was so preoccupied with her own grief that she didn't even notice Billy until she practically ran into him, stopping just in time.

"Lyra what are you-" Billy asked, his eyes flying open in concern at the tears that were beginning to escape her eyes. "What happened?" He asked worriedly.

Lyra merely shook her head, quickly climbing the stairs to get away.

* * *

Tom watched the door slam shut behind her, an aching feeling of hollowness in the pit of his stomach. The look of hurt and betrayal on her face was etched into his mind's eye and Tom wanted nothing more than to obliviate himself. It had been a lie. He'd been afraid. He'd pushed her away by making her think he didn't care about her because he was too much of a coward to accept the fact that he did. He did care about her and the realization made him want to throw up.

Tom felt his hands begin to shake as he forced himself to face the facts. The horrible, painful facts. There was only so long he could lie to himself for even though he was, for all intents and purposes, an excellent liar. It was simply an incontrovertible fact that on the night of the bombing, the fact that her death might lead to his imprisonment had not crossed his mind until _after_ he had already found her. He hadn't left the safety of the bunker to save her because he'd been afraid of his secrets being revealed should she die...he'd done it because the mere thought of her dying had caused him pain.

At first he'd rationalized this feeling as being the result of her being the only witch in the orphanage. Of course, he'd told himself, it made sense that he wouldn't want to be alone with the Muggles. But this had only been part of the reason, Tom thought grimly to himself. No, the other, larger motivation for saving her had been the feeling of pain he felt every time he imagined something terrible happening to her. The feeling of pain he felt seeing her in pain and the feeling of pain he felt at the prospect of never seeing her again.

He cared about her, Tom admitted to himself, feeling a wave of panic, despair, and pain wash over him as the reality of his disastrous predicament set in. Never had he ever let himself care about another person before. Never had he ever seen any reason to, let alone had any desire to. And now, he wanted her. He wished they'd just played chess and hadn't gotten into this argument. He wished they hadn't come home and had stayed in Diagon Alley all day. He wished she hadn't pushed him to the point where he had no choice but to admit to himself that he had failed. He had become weak...like her. He had lost control of his own mind and if he couldn't even control his own mind then how was he supposed to control the wizarding world? How could he achieve his goals when _she_ was in the way? She was nothing but a distraction and a liability.

He would have to distance himself from her...it was the only way. From the looks of it, he'd already hurt her pretty badly; perhaps it would be enough to keep her away. Tom felt an overwhelming wave of sadness at the thought of losing her that was immediately replaced by a wave of anger. What was wrong with him? Why did he care? Why, after all this time, was he losing control over his emotions? What was even so special about her? She was fairly average except for the fact that she was brilliant and funny and pretty and she knew all about him and _cared about him anyway_.

Tom felt his stomach twist into a painful knot at this thought and turned away from the door, pacing up and down the room, seriously considering obliviating himself. Why didn't she hate him? Well...perhaps she did now...but why hadn't she before? Well...she had...for a long time...but what had made her reconsider? What had made her forgive him? What had made her see him as anything other than the monster that he was? Was she simply delusional or was there perhaps some small part of him that wasn't absolutely rotten? Tom shook his head. She was definitely delusional.

She should hate him, Tom thought. It was simply not reasonable not to hate him. He was a murderer and a liar and a thief and- and she was so good. She was too good. He would only hurt her...bring her down. Really, it was in her best interest for him to push her away. He'd done her a service. Even though it might hurt her today, it would be good for her in the long run because Tom was simply not made to have relationships with other human beings. He was incapable of it and he didn't want it anyway.

Well perhaps he wanted it with her...

Tom clenched his fists, deciding he needed to get out of his room. Cold, bitter, fresh air would clear his mind and then he would be able to think clearly. Otherwise, he might just lose all remaining sanity.

Coming out into the hallway, Tom made a beeline for the door, trying to ignore the sound of the other children laughing as they played with their new toys. He'd almost reached the door when a hand landed on his arm and roughly pulled him to the side.

"What the _hell_ did you do?" Billy snarled, glaring at Tom with a look of hatred he hadn't seen on the boy's face in a long time.

"Stubbs, I am not- " Tom began, pulling his arm roughly out of Billy's grasp, but Billy interrupted him.

"What did you do to her?" Billy repeated, "To Lyra."

At this, Tom felt his insides turn to ice before the cold was replaced with burning anger. How dare Billy interfere in matters that did not concern him?

"What makes you think _I_ did anything to her?" Tom retorted, his dark eyes shooting daggers at Billy. He was not in the mood to deal with Billy's sudden desire to play the hero.

"Oh I don't know...because you're _you_?" Billy snarled with a viciousness that Tom had rarely heard in his voice. He was usually so calm and mild-mannered.

"I did nothing." Tom snapped, attempting to push past Billy only to find the other boy blocking his way.

"She was crying." Billy said, hatred plain on his face, "You said something to her. I know you did."

"I fail to see how any of this concerns you." Tom replied waspishly, resisting the urge to strange the boy in front of him. "Unless, of course, you're in love with her and you're delusional enough to think you can win her affection by defending her from me."

At this, Billy's face flushed bright red, "I am not in love with her." He protested and Tom laughed coldly.

"Really? That's funny because to me you look very much like a little puppy dog who follows her around hoping she'll notice you exist." Tom said cruelly, relishing in the look of indignation and hurt on Billy's face.

"You're just jealous because she's friends with me." Billy replied angrily, "You've always been jealous of me."

Tom felt his temper flare at this and resisted the urge to pull out his wand and curse him. It wasn't true. He wasn't jealous of Billy...why should he be? There was nothing worthwhile in Billy to be jealous of!

"I could not care less about who Lyra associates with. If she wants to waste her time humouring the likes of you then I see no reason why I should care." Tom growled.

"You do though." Billy snarled, "I've known you since we were children and never have I ever seen you treat someone the way you do Lyra."

Feeling Billy's words cut through his anger like a knife, Tom tried to push the feelings away, "I don't." He snarled viciously, "I don't care whether she lives or dies."

"You're lying." Billy retorted and Tom opened his mouth to give another scathing reply when there was a knock at the door and the two boys froze.

Tom shut his mouth as Billy stepped forward, opening the door. Tom froze as the person he was least in the mood to see appeared in the doorway. Could today get any worse?

"Ah Tom, there you are." Dumbledore said, an edge to his voice that Tom did not like, "I'm going to have to ask you to go get your things and find Lyra. I'm afraid you two will be leaving Wool's Orphanage a few days earlier than expected."

Tom stared at the man he'd always hated so much, uncomprehending. "Why?" He asked sharply, not even bothering to sound polite. It wasn't as if Dumbledore would be fooled by niceties anyway.

"I'm afraid we're at war." Dumbledore said, a shadow crossing his face, "Grindelwald has decided to invade Britain."


	48. I Lied

**Thanks for the reviews KreepyKween, Cassie-011, Ai Star, MeriemDjez, SylvesterTheCat, Elle Light and AlexisDumbee!**

 **Sorry Elle Light and SylvesterTheCat if I wasn't clear. Lyra just went to her room, she didn't leave the building yet, so she's fine!**

 **KreepyKween, I'm sorry once more it's been almost a month! Hope this chapter makes up for the wait...**

"Tom?" Dumbledore said once more, jolting Tom from his state of shock. Grindelwald was invading Britain. That meant he almost surely had the cloak of invisibility. How was he supposed to get it from him now? On another note, why was Dumbledore here? In case, the old coot hadn't noticed they were already in the middle of a war and that hadn't seemed to bother him before. Why was this one different?

"I'm sorry sir," Tom said, deciding it was time he put on his polite act. Just because Dumbledore could see through it didn't mean it was wise to drop it altogether. "I'm just a little confused. Why can't we stay here?"

Billy looked over at him, surprised at his change of tone before turning back to stare at Dumbledore as if he was an exotic animal at the zoo. The look of fascination on Billy's face made Tom's skin crawl. Why was the annoying boy even still here? This conversation clearly did not concern him.

"It's not safe." Dumbledore replied, "It's better you stay at Hogwarts for now."

Tom frowned. While he would normally jump at the chance to return to Hogwarts a week early, there was something about this situation that just didn't add up. "With all due respect sir, we've been living in the middle of a war for over a week now. Surely Grindelwald cannot be more dangerous than Muggle air raids?"

"Yes, you may very well be correct," Dumbledore said diplomatically, "However, you know how ignorant some wizards can be when it comes to Muggle affairs. Headmaster Dippet scarcely realizes the Muggle war exists; he is, however, very concerned with the threat of Grindelwald."

Tom stared at the red-headed man, his instincts telling him the professor was lying. He was a good liar, though, Tom admitted grimly. Perhaps, Tom thought, that was why he could see through Tom's lies so easily.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Mrs. Cole asked somewhat shrilly as she entered the hallway and noticed Dumbledore in the entrance hall.

"I meant no offense," Dumbledore said politely, "I'm merely here to pick up Tom and Lyra for school."

"I thought I was driving them to the station on January 3rd?" Mrs. Cole asked, suspiciously. "It's Christmas Day."

"Some issues have come up that make it imperative that they return to school earlier than expected." Dumbledore said dismissively and Mrs. Cole crossed her arms, assessing the man in front of her with obvious distrust.

"What issues?" She asked sharply and Dumbledore hesitated.

"Political issues." Dumbledore replied vaguely and Tom felt, rather than saw, Mrs. Cole's temper flare at his evasiveness.

"Tom, I'm afraid we really must be going." Dumbledore said quickly to change the topic.

"Billy, go let Lyra know we're leaving." Tom said, turning to the Muggle boy who'd been listening to the whole conversation. "I need to get my things."

If he never saw Lyra again it would be too soon, Tom thought to himself. He needed to get away from her. He didn't want to see the look of hurt on her face, he didn't want to see the hatred in her eyes, he just wanted to escape.

"Who do you think you are ordering him around?" Mrs. Cole snarled, glaring at Tom. "You think you're the boss around here now?"

Tom resisted the urge to snap back at her and forced a fake smile onto his face. "I was merely suggesting he go find Lyra to save time." Tom said smoothly, wondering bitterly whether Dumbledore would have called Mrs. Cole out on her rudeness had it been directed at anyone other than him.

"I'll go find Lyra." Billy said quickly, "I want to say goodbye."

Tom raised an eyebrow, giving Mrs. Cole a somewhat smug look, before following Billy out of the room and up the stairs. To Tom's relief, Billy ignored him all the way up the staircase. Reaching the top, Tom quickly slipped into his room before Billy could knock on Lyra's door, and closed the door behind him.

What was wrong with him? Tom chided himself. Why was he hiding? Why should he care if she was hurt and he was responsible? Why should he care if she hated him? He was losing his mind.

More aggressively than necessary, Tom packed his few possessions into his small, old trunk. At last, he stared at the empty room, realizing this was likely the last time he'd ever see it. It was pathetic, Tom thought. Just like the orphanage was. Just like the Muggle world was. He hated it.

Turning on the spot, Tom left his room without a backward glance and came out into the hallway, breathing a sigh of momentary relief upon seeing no sign of Lyra or Billy. Dragging his trunk down the stairs, Tom felt somewhat of a weight lift off him despite everything else that was wrong. He was leaving the orphanage for good. He'd dreamed of this day since he'd been old enough to fathom what life outside this wretched place might be like and now it was actually happening.

His momentary feeling of freedom evaporated as he entered the hallway leading to the front door and spotted Lyra, Billy, Dumbledore and Mrs. Cole. Lyra didn't even look up as he approached and Tom felt his stomach twist painfully.

"Shall we leave?" Dumbledore asked and Tom nodded, noticing for the first time the crowd of children who'd gathered in the doorways to the hallway, watching the pair leave. They were possibly even more happy to see him go than he was to leave, Tom thought grimly.

"You'll write to me, won't you?" Billy asked Lyra and Tom felt his temper flare as Lyra looked up at him and smiled.

"Of course." She said, throwing her arms around him.

Tom clenched his fists, imagining all the ways he could set fire to the orphanage and looked away. At last, Lyra let go of Billy and turned to Mrs. Cole, a dark look her face. She glared at the woman in silence for a moment before Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Well, I think we best be going." Dumbledore said, opening the door and leading the way out into the freezing cold winter day.

Tom followed Lyra into the doorway before stopping to put on his shoes. As he straightened back up again, his eyes met Billy's. He held the other boy's gaze for a moment before turning away, stepping out onto the icy porch and closing the door behind him.

* * *

Lyra followed Dumbledore down the icy path leading away from the orphanage until the professor stopped and turned back to look at her.

"I trust you both to apparate directly to Hogsmeade on your own?" Dumbledore asked and Lyra nodded, painfully aware that Tom had come to a stop behind her.

So much for getting away from him, she thought bitterly. At least, he wasn't making acknowledging her existence any more than she was his. Then again, him ignoring her was nothing new, she thought, a fresh wave of pain washing over her.

She'd been ready to leave the orphanage and go stay with Rosalie when Billy had come knocking on her door. Even now, she wondered whether perhaps she should have just gone to Rosalie's right away. Then she wouldn't be forced to be around Tom. It wasn't as if he would miss her, after all. In fact, he'd probably be happy to see her go, seeing as to him she was nothing but a nuisance and an annoyance.

Lyra watched, absentmindedly, as her bag vanished and Dumbledore turned on the spot, disappearing. Not waiting to see if Tom was coming, Lyra turned on the spot, reappearing on the snowy empty street of Hogsmeade. From the looks of the deserted street, everyone was inside celebrating Christmas with their families. Lyra pushed away the wave of sorrow this realization brought to the surface of her mind and quickly turned to face Dumbledore.

"Are we walking to Hogwarts, sir?" She asked, as Tom appeared with a crack next to her.

"I certainly hope not." Dumbledore said brightly, turning to lead the way over to a carriage pulled by a thestral. She could see them now, she realized, because she'd seen Tom kill one of Grindelwald's followers at his uncle's cabin.

Lyra followed him, not wanting to be left alone with Tom and walked over to the thestral, putting up a hand to stroke its head gently. They were beautiful...in a dark sort of way, Lyra thought to herself. Realizing Tom and Dumbledore were watching her silently, Lyra quickly removed her hand and hopped into the back of the carriage, sitting as far away from Tom as possible.

"I'm afraid many more students' will be able to see them before this ordeal is over." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes lacking their usual sparkle.

"You can see them too, can't you Tom." Lyra said, turning to give him a pointed look.

Tom's expression remained nonchalant but Lyra knew he was likely burning with annoyance underneath his calm façade. Dumbledore looked from Lyra to Tom curiously, and Lyra knew she ought to be more careful with what she said. The problem was she was simply too upset to care at the moment.

"Yes." Tom replied smoothly, "I saw a baby die at the orphanage once."

Lyra made no reply, turning to glare out the window as the carriage started up the path towards the school. She hated him. Tom Riddle. He had never cared about her. He had never even _liked_ her. All those times she'd thought she'd caught him smiling because of something she'd said, all those times she'd thought he'd demonstrated genuine concern for her wellbeing...it had all been for his own personal gain. He'd put up with her because she'd blackmailed him into it. He'd saved her because he was afraid of being sent to Azkaban. And she had been fool enough to believe he was being kind.

She'd defended him, she'd chosen him over the other orphans, she'd made sure he wasn't alone...and he hadn't cared. He hadn't cared at all. In fact, if he'd been able to kill her, she would probably already be dead by now.

Lyra felt her grief turn into anger and she resisted the urge to shatter the glass in front of her. She would make him pay. She could still kill him...perhaps she ought to kill him... Alternatively, she could have him locked up somehow. But no, she could never go through with either of those plans, Lyra realized with a sinking sensation. As stupid as it was, she couldn't even bring herself to hurt him. She hated him, yes, but she couldn't deny the fact that she also cared deeply about him.

Frustrated, Lyra clenched her fists and glared at the gates as they swung open to admit the carriage into the Hogwarts grounds. They were back and Lyra and Tom were back to being enemies. Nothing had changed, really, since they'd left.

Dumbledore led the way up the steps of the castle, opening the large front door and holding it for Lyra and Tom. The two students followed him inside, shivering from the cold.

"I'm afraid I need to discuss something very important with you both." Dumbledore said, as soon as they were safely within the entrance hall.

"What is it, sir?" Tom asked, schooling his face into an expression that looked politely interested.

"I'm afraid we're going to have to speak in private." Dumbledore said, his face grim, "I would normally let you get settled in but I think, in this case, you have all the information first."

Lyra felt her insides turn to ice. Whatever this was, it didn't sound good. She followed Dumbledore down the hallway, finding his silence disconcerting. Holding the door open for them, Dumbledore led the way inside his office, taking a seat behind his desk. Lyra begrudgingly took a seat next to Tom, making a point of purposefully scooting her chair away from him. If Tom noticed it, he didn't let on, and kept staring at the pieces of parchment on Dumbledore's desk, a far-off expression on his face.

"I'm afraid I have not been entirely honest with you." Dumbledore said after a moment and Lyra wrung her hands together, her mind jumping to all sorts of awful conclusions.

"Sir?" Tom said, an edge to his voice that betrayed his suppressed irritation.

Dumbledore sighed, "Grindelwald is invading Britain...that much is true. However, his main objective in doing so is to get to, well you, Tom."

At this, Lyra whipped her head around to stare at Tom, trying to stop her hands from shaking. "What?" Lyra and Tom exclaimed at the same time, making Lyra quickly look away and turn her attention back to Dumbledore.

"I received an owl from Conan last night explaining that Grindelwald used veritaserum on him to get information about the resurrection stone." Dumbledore said slowly, looking from Lyra to Tom and back again.

"But, he has the stone." Tom said sharply, and Lyra could tell from his tone that he was terrified.

"He has _a_ stone." Dumbledore corrected, looking pointedly at Lyra, "A stone which is not, as far as Conan says, from this time period."

Lyra made no reply, internally trying to come up with a million lies that would save her from the barrage of questions as to what exactly her and Conan were doing in the 1990s.

"Seeing as this stone is not the only version of the resurrection stone present in this time period, the powers of immortality granted by possession of the three Deathly Hallows - and he does have all three - are incomplete without the present version of the stone. A stone which, as Conan was forced to tell Grindelwald, belongs to you, Tom."

Lyra chanced a glance over at Tom, watching the blood drain from his face. "I don't have the stone." Tom said sharply and Lyra bit her lip, unable to contradict him without breaking her unbreakable vow to not interfere with his possession of the Deathly Hallows.

"Whether you have the stone or not, Grindelwald is coming for it." Dumbledore said, "And you had better bet he is willing to kill you and everyone in this school to get it."

Lyra felt her heart beat increase, wishing she had never made that unbreakable vow. "Tom, are you sure you don't know where it is?" She asked, turning to meet his eyes directly for the first time.

"I'm sure." Tom said, his face perfectly expressionless, "I've never seen the stone in my life."

Lyra felt her previous anger with him reach a new height. He was going to risk the lives of everyone in Hogwarts...no everyone in Great Britain...all to keep his precious family heirloom. It was beyond selfish, it was practically murder.

"Tom, I must impress upon you the severity of the present predicament." Dumbledore said, his blue eyes piercing Tom with a look Lyra could only describe as disgust, "If you do not deliver the stone to me, we will be forced to close the school for the foreseeable future for the safety of the students. If this happens, you too, will be forced to leave and I cannot guarantee you any protection outside these school walls. The safest thing for you, and all your classmates, is to hand over the ring to me so that this situation can be dealt with appropriately."

"I understand." Tom said, raising an eyebrow, "I wish I could be of more assistance. Unfortunately, I do not know the whereabouts of the stone."

Dumbledore stared at him, his piercing blue eyes clearly unconvinced. Tom merely stared back impassively, as if daring him to call him out on his lies. At last, Dumbledore sighed, breaking eye contact and Lyra felt a wave of anger wash over her. Tom was going to endanger the lives of everyone in the entire freaking country just to keep his ring. Her patience snapping, Lyra stood up abruptly, drawing surprised looks from Dumbledore and Tom.

"I'm sorry I have to go." Lyra said quickly, shooting Tom a vicious glare before turning to march out of the room. She heard Dumbledore call out to her but she didn't stop, nearly running to get away.

She could break her vow; she could sacrifice herself to give Dumbledore the information he needed to keep Grindelwald from invading. It wasn't as if anyone would care if she died after all. Tom certainly wouldn't. At least, he would rot in jail for the rest of his life if she broke her unbreakable vow and ended up dead, Lyra thought viciously.

"Reed!" Tom called out, his footsteps echoing on the stone floor behind her.

Lyra merely increased her pace, wanting nothing less than to talk to him again.

"Reed, wait." Tom said firmly, a note of worry in his voice that only served to make Lyra more annoyed.

"What?" She snarled, finally turning around to glare at him.

"What are you going to do?" Tom asked, an edge of fear slipping into his voice. Merlin he was intelligent, Lyra thought. He knew her so well, too. He knew she was contemplating breaking her vow to let Dumbledore know he had the ring.

"Well I think that depends on you." Lyra snapped, "Either you are give the ring to Dumbledore or I will tell him you have it."

Tom's worried frown deepened at her words, his eyes widening imperceptibly in fear, "No, Reed, that would be breaking your vow. You'd die. Don't be stupid."

"Grindelwald is about to invade the country to get the ring. He's going to kill you and anyone who gets in his way over it. Why are you so intent on keeping it? I know it's a Deathly Hallow but for Merlin's sake Riddle, it's a bloody ring!"

"I'm not giving up the ring." Tom said stubbornly, "You don't understand it's value. You never have and you never will."

"Look I know you don't care about other people dying for you, but Tom, he's going to kill you too!" Lyra cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "He did in the alternate future I visited. What makes you think you'll be more lucky this time. It's in your own interest to give up the ring, why are you so bloody stubborn?"

"Look, Reed, this does not concern you-" Tom began but Lyra cut him off.

"Of course it concerns me!" She snarled, "I have a chance to stop this. I can break my vow and tell Dumbledore you have the ring-"

"Reed, this is insanity. You're not going to break your vow." Tom scoffed, a definite tone of fear in his voice now.

Lyra laughed coldly, "Why? Why shouldn't I break my vow? My parents are dead and I'm unable to kill the man who killed them. I have no family and I'm stuck here all alone so really what does it matter if I live or die?" Lyra asked desperately.

"It matters to me!" Tom cried, shutting his mouth quickly as if he hadn't meant for those words to come out. Lyra froze, unable to believe her ears, as she stared at the boy in front of her.

"But- but you said-" Lyra stuttered, unable to form a coherent thought.

"I _lied_." Tom ground out, unable to maintain direct eye contact with her. Lyra felt her hands begin to shake as she struggled to find her voice. She looked up at Tom and their eyes connected, both at a loss for words.

Before Lyra knew what was happening, Tom leaned in and pressed his lips to her mouth, sending electric shivers down her spine. Unable to breath, Lyra reached out to touch his face, overwhelmed by the sheer warmth of him. How could he be so warm? So...human...

Pulling back to catch her breath, Lyra stared into his dark eyes, her heart beating out of her chest. "I- I'm...confused." She stuttered.

"Me too." Tom breathed before their lips collided once more and Lyra wrapped her arms around his neck, breathing in the scent of him. She'd wanted this for so long and yet she'd never even let herself dare think it, even in the private of her own mind. She'd never in a million years thought he wanted it too. Just this morning, he'd told her he'd only saved her for his own benefit and now...

Wait.

Lyra froze, pulling back suddenly. Tom had been trying to convince her not to tell Dumbledore he knew where the resurrection stone was less than a minute ago. From what she'd seen, he'd do anything to keep that stone...was this all just some ploy to make her keep her vow? Was he trying to make her believe he cared about her so that she wouldn't sacrifice herself to save the school from a possible invasion? Could he really be that evil?

 _Yes._ Yes, he could, Lyra thought, her insides turning to ice.

"What's the matter?" Tom asked, an incredibly convincing look of concern filling his face.

As if she'd been burned, Lyra pulled her hands back quickly and stepped away from him, the ice in her turning to rage. "I'm not an idiot, Tom." She snarled and Tom stared at her, looking lost.

"What-" Tom began but Lyra cut him off.

"You can quit the act already." She snapped viciously, "I know what you want, you bastard."

At this, Tom frowned, a convincing look of hurt spreading across his face, "Lyra, what are you talking about?"

"The _ring_." Lyra snarled, "You don't want me to tell Dumbledore you have it. This is all just some kind of ploy or trick. You're so goddamn manipulative!"

Confusion filled Tom's face for a moment before dawning realization filled it and a look of fear filled his eyes. "No." He said quickly, "No, Lyra, I'm not manipulating you."

Lyra laughed darkly, wondering just how stupid he thought she was, and took a step back.

"No, I'm not lying." Tom repeated, panic entering his voice now, "I wasn't even thinking about the ring, I was just- I was just- I wasn't thinking..."

"You're an excellent liar." Lyra sneered, "Then again, you've had a lifetime full of practice. Why don't you just kill me now before I have time to tell Dumbledore about the ring. Really, that's your only option, so go ahead, do it."

Tom shook his head, inhaling sharply, his fists clenched. "Lyra, you have to listen to me." He said desperately and Lyra snorted.

"Listen to you." She sneered, taking a step in the direction of Dumbledore's office. "Nothing good could ever come of that."

"Lyra, I care about you." He blurted out, looking panicked, "I didn't want to admit it, even it myself because, well, I've never felt this way...before...but I can't deny it anymore. I won't lie to you, I don't want to care about you and if I could change how I felt I would."

At this, Lyra snorted, "Perhaps you're not so good at manipulation after all."

"I'm not lying!" Tom cried, grabbing her wrist. Lyra tried to wrench it free, but Tom held on tightly. "I swear, I'm not lying. What can I do to make you believe me?"

"Let go of me." Lyra snarled, finally succeeding in yanking her arm free. "There's nothing. You can't change my mind Tom. I'm going to go tell Dumbledore and you're going to have to kill me and expose yourself to save your precious ring." She said, turning to leave.

Tom made no reply, frozen with an expression of panic on his face, and Lyra turned her back on him, disgusted. At least her death would afford her some measure of justice. By exposing him, she would probably save the world from Lord Voldemort too because Tom would inevitably be thrown in prison for at least half his life.

"Expecto patronum." Tom said and Lyra froze, turning around to stare at him.

There, in front of her, running up to meet her was a silver lynx, it's immaterial eyes staring at her and it ran through her and disappeared, leaving behind only a vague feeling of peace. Lyra looked up and saw Tom standing by the wall, his face torn by some emotion she'd never seen before on his face. He'd cast the patronus...Last she knew, he hadn't been _able_ to cast a patronus. But the lynx had been a full-bodied patronus and it hadn't just been any patronus...it had been _her_ patronus.

Lyra stared at him, the confusion she had felt earlier returning full force. Only happiness could create a patronus in the first place. Only love could change a person's patronus to that of another person. But Tom didn't...love her...did he? He couldn't...he...

But there he was, looking as if his world had suddenly come crashing down around him and Lyra felt her anger evaporate. He'd been afraid. He'd been scared to let her know he cared but when it had come to a choice between watching her die or letting her know...he'd chosen to let her know.

Slowly, almost cautiously, Lyra approached him, and felt her heart break with sadness for him as a mingled look of fear and desperation filled his face.

"Tom...I-I-" Lyra stuttered, lost for words, "I believe you." She managed at last.

Tom's jaw clenched visibly at her words and Lyra reached out a hand to take his into her own. Lyra gently entwined her fingers through his, feeling his hands shaking just as much as hers were. Slowly, cautiously, and incredibly gently, she lifted her face to meet his and pressed her lips to his once more. This time, the kiss was more gentle, more vulnerable, and Lyra reached up her other hand to run her fingers gently through his hair.

After a moment, Tom pulled back, searching her face intently.

"What?" Lyra asked.

Tom made no reply, a look of confusion mixed with desperation on his face as his eyes searched her own.

"Hey," Lyra said, reaching out to touch his face gently. Tom turned his face ever so slightly towards her hand and Lyra smiled, suddenly overwhelmed with a burst of joy.

Unable to restrain herself, Lyra wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tightly and Tom froze, clearly shocked by her actions. Seemingly realizing she wasn't going to let go, he gently wrapped his arms around her as well...and for the first time since she'd become an orphan, Lyra felt safe.


	49. Not reasonable

**Wow it's been so long! I'm sorry for my slow updates but I promise I have no intention of abandoning this story and actually have the rest planned out already. The next chapter is almost ready as well so there won't be a long wait for that one.**

 **Thanks for the wonderful reviews everyone!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

The next morning, Lyra woke in her empty dorm room with the bright winter sun shining on her face and felt a wave of happiness wash over her.

Tom. Tom bloody Marvolo Riddle. Lord Voldemort. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The Dark Lord. The Heir of Slytherin.

Tom.

He cared about her and she cared about him. The stone had been right all along and now she found she was glad it had been right. Grindelwald was still invading, Tom was still bent on becoming the next Dark Lord, Conan was still missing, her family was still cursed, her parents were still dead, but all of that seemed to become insignificant when compared to the memory of his lips on hers.

They'd spent the past night on the astronomy tower, talking until late in the night about everything but the worries that plagued their minds. It had been by far the longest, pleasant conversation she'd ever had with him and there had been times when he'd actually smiled or laughed and it had been _genuine._ Here they were, being stupidly happy, in the middle of a war that could kill them both. Merlin did she ever have impeccable timing.

Rolling out of bed, Lyra looked around the empty dorm and wondered what she would ever tell Elaina. Her grandmother would lose her mind if she knew he had kissed him and honestly, Lyra could not blame her. It was stupid and reckless to kiss someone like Tom Riddle. But then again, since when had Lyra been logical?

Making her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Lyra found herself unable to stop herself from grinning at the prospect of seeing Tom. She nearly skipped into the room, butterflies filling her chest at the sight of his familiar head of black hair. Seeing as her and Tom were among the only students and professors who had decided to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas, Dumbledore, Dippet, and the other professors were seated across from Tom and the other students on a small table in the middle of the hall.

"Hey." Lyra said, unable to stop grinning as she slid in next to Tom at the table. Dumbledore looked up from his place across from them and Tom suddenly became very interested in his toast.

Worried the previous night had been a dream, Lyra slowly reached over her hand, under the table, until her fingers brushed against Tom's. Tom froze, moving his hand away and putting down his fork.

"I think I am going to head to the library." Tom announced to the table, garnering approving smiles from all the professors present except Dumbledore. "I'll see you all around later I'm sure."

Lyra felt her heart sink and a panicky feeling enter her chest as he rose to his feet. Something was definitely wrong. Lyra watched him walk away before quickly jumping to her feet as well, "I - uh - forgot something." She said, rather unbelievably, following Tom out of the Great Hall as fast as her feet could carry her.

"Tom!" Lyra cried, running to catch up to him and to her surprise and relief he stopped and turned to wait for her.

Lyra came up next to him, panting slightly and frowned in confusion at the look on his face. "What's wrong?" She asked, and Tom sighed, looking around them to make sure no one was near before speaking.

"Lyra we are in the middle of a bloody war." Tom whispered vehemently, "And I have plans. I don't need you distracting me from my goals."

Lyra felt a stab of pain at his words and opened her mouth to respond when he continued. "What happened last night...it can never happen again, do you understand?"

Lyra fell silent, knowing he was right and wishing terribly that he wasn't. "You would rather rule the world than be with me." She said quietly and Tom was silent, confirming her fear.

"Lyra it is not reasonable to expect me to give up everything for you and it is certainly not reasonable for you to give up everything for me." Tom stated way too calmly for Lyra's liking. "Look I will make this very clear for you. Even if we managed to have a relationship in the middle of this war, what then? I will not give up my aspirations and I know that at one point, the things I will do, will be too much for you. Perhaps you think you can stomach me killing 5 people. What happens when I kill 10 people? 15? 30?"

"Tom-" Lyra began but Tom cut her off.

"I don't know what I will be required to do to gain power but I doubt it will be bloodless." Tom said.

"Then don't do it." Lyra pleaded. "Become Minister for Magic, invent new spells and potions, discover new areas of magic, cure a disease! You could do anything at all, Tom, why do you want to become a Dark Lord of all things!?"

"Because they need to pay." Tom said, a hint of anger entering his voice and Lyra frowned in confusion. "The Muggles. The Mudbloods-"

"Don't use that word." Lyra said firmly and Tom laughed.

"See? You cannot even stomach me insulting them. How will you stomach watching me eradicate them?"

"Why do they need to be eradicated, Tom? This is insanity." Lyra snarled, feeling a surge of anger despite having known all along that this was what he had always wanted. She knew what Lord Voldemort would do; she knew what he wanted. Still, she had been so used to separating Tom from Voldemort that she had forgotten that they were the same person.

"Because our world would be better off without them!" Tom snarled, "Witches and wizards shouldn't have to hide from Muggles who hold us in contempt purely out of jealousy. We are more powerful, we deserve to rule and they deserve to serve. _Not_ the other way around."

"Oh you are _so_ not doing this to make the world better off, Tom. Even you know that." Lyra said venomously and Tom shrugged.

"You're right." He said, "But that doesn't mean my actions won't restore the world order to what it should be."

Lyra shook her head, feeling her anger evaporate and be replaced by a feeling of incredible sadness, "And what do you expect to gain, personally I mean, from all this?" Lyra asked, and Tom raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"I mean, do you think that at the end of the day, after you've killed and tortured every last Muggle or Muggleborn, do you think you'll feel satisfied?" Lyra asked and Tom stared at her, a dark look coming over his face.

"What does this have to do with anything?" Tom asked, rather defensively and Lyra knew she had struck a chord.

"Did you feel satisfied after you killed your father?" Lyra asked, knowing she was treading on thin ice and entirely intending to keep going until that ice broke, "Did it quench your thirst for revenge or did it just make you feel more empty and more angry than ever before? How about when you killed Myrtle? Did that help? Do you think that if you went back and burnt that orphanage to the ground - and I know you think about it - do you really think that would make you feel any better?"

"Lyra, this is entirely besides the point-" Tom snarled, his eyes flashing red momentarily. Lyra shook her head, unafraid of him. She had long since began to trust he would not hurt her. He was not yet the monster he would become and Merlin help her she would die before she let him become that red-eyed snake-man.

"Tom, it doesn't matter how many Muggles you kill, you will _always_ be the boy who was abandoned by his Muggle father and raised by Muggles who rejected him for being different." Lyra said and Tom's eyes flashed red once more, for longer this time, than ever before. Lyra glanced down at Tom's fists and saw that they were clenched, his entire being radiating pure fury.

"Get out of my sight." Tom ground out, and Lyra felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Go!" Tom snarled, and Lyra shook her head, turning on her heel and walking away as fast as her feet could carry her.

* * *

Tom was seeing red. Literally. For a moment there, the entire world had actually taken on a kind of red-ish tinge and Tom had thought he was losing his mind. The things she had said. They weren't true. They weren't the whole truth at least. Sure he hated his father and the Muggles that "raised" him but this wasn't an emotional response. He wasn't that affected by his childhood. He was _fine_.

How dare she reduce his aspirations to mere petty revenge? Of course, he could not lie to himself, revenge was a motivating factor, but it was not the _only_ factor. Yes, he wanted to make them pay, but he also wanted power. He was quite certain this desire for power would be present even if his father had never abandoned him. Not that that affected him in any significant way anymore, Tom reminded himself. He had killed the git and even though he wished he could kill him all over again every day of his life, it had been enjoyable. No, not enjoyable... _satisfying_.

Lyra had clearly just been upset that he had rejected her. She disapproved, morally, of his plans as well. If she didn't have such a strong moral compass, perhaps a relationship of some sort would have been possible, Tom thought, somewhat disappointedly. They could rule together.

Instead, Tom knew it was only a matter of time before she became disgusted with him and left. There was that look she got in her eyes whenever she found out more of the things he'd done. This look of horror mixed with concern mixed with disgust. Lyra was a foolish optimist and Tom was certain the only reason she'd kissed him yesterday was because she'd convinced herself she could change him. The moment she realized he was always going to be a monster she would leave. It was only a matter of time until she came to her senses and realized how evil he truly was. Everyone who'd ever seen the truth behind his mask had been horrified. If Lyra wasn't, that was simply because she thought he had gotten that way by nurture, not nature.

Tom shook his head. It would not do to dwell on thoughts as disturbing as these. Perhaps he ought to actually go to the library and figure out a way out of his predicament with Grindelwald. He didn't intend to let the dictator kill him, after all. It would be a very disappointing setback indeed.

The ring.

Tom froze, realizing he had just let, actually told, Lyra to storm off very upset. What if she went to Dumbledore and broke her vow by telling him about the ring? They had avoided the topic entirely last night and he had no idea whether she still intended to sacrifice herself to help the cause or whatever her ethical motivation was. Doubling back, Tom walked back to the Great Hall and peered inside, his heart beat increasing when he saw that Dumbledore was gone.

Walking briskly through the halls, Tom came to a stop outside of Dumbledore's office, approaching quietly so that he could hear if there were any voices coming from inside. Hearing nothing, Tom inched even closer to the door when, to his surprise, it swung open and Tom jumped back in alarm.

"Tom?" Dumbledore asked, exiting his office. Tom quickly glanced inside to find that, thankfully, it was empty.

"Sorry, sir, I was just hoping to ask you a question." Tom said quickly, trying to calm his racing pulse.

Dumbledore looked him over with apprehension, "And what question might that be?"

"I was hoping you might know where Lyra is?" Tom asked and Dumbledore frowned.

"I thought she was with you." He said, "Why do you assume I would know where she is?"

Tom forced a smile and nodded, "Sorry for wasting your time." He said, making to leave.

"Tom, can I talk to you for a moment?" Dumbledore asked, a look on his face Tom had never seen before.

Against every fiber of his being, Tom stopped and turned around, plastering a fake smile on his face. "Of course, sir."

Dumbledore nodded, not even bothering to return the effort and fake a smile of his own. "Wonderful." He said, reopening the door to his office and gesturing for Tom to enter first.

Tom walked in and took a seat, itching to escape. He glanced longingly towards the open door before Dumbledore closed it and took a seat in front of him.

"Is this about the ring sir?" Tom asked, wanting to get this over with as quickly as possible, "If it is, I already told you. I don't know where it is."

Dumbledore merely shook his head, "No, Tom." He said calmly, "This is not about the ring."

"Then what is it about?" Tom asked, a hint of impatience entering his voice.

"It's about Miss Reed." Dumbledore said and Tom stared at his least favourite professor, a feeling of dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

"Sir?" Tom asked apprehensively.

"I am unable to find any trace of her birth parents." Dumbledore admitted, "While this is not unusual, given the war we are in, I can't help but wonder if perhaps she's told you something she hasn't told me."

"Why would she tell me sir?" Tom asked, frowning.

"Well, you two seem to have gotten...close...over the past few months." Dumbledore said hesitatingly and Tom suddenly felt a wave of anger wash over him. The old coot knew nothing. How dare he try to assume things?

"Lyra doesn't like to talk about her past, sir." Tom said, fighting to keep his cool.

"Has she told you anything at all?" Dumbledore asked and Tom felt his temper flare.

"As I said, _sir_." Tom repeated, "She doesn't like to talk about her past."

Dumbledore looked him over, seeming mildly disappointed before nodding. "Alright, then." He said, standing up to open the door for Tom.

Tom wasted no time jumping off the seat and joining Dumbledore in the doorway. "Have a good day sir." Tom ground out as he forced a fake smile.

"Oh Tom?" Dumbledore said and Tom nearly sighed out loud.

"Yes?" He asked, struggling to stay patient.

"I never thanked you properly for informing me when Lyra was in trouble at the orphanage." Dumbledore said, and Tom suddenly felt deeply uncomfortable. Since when did Dumbledore thank him? He hated him.

"I know there were times when you should have called me before. Times you were the one in trouble. I regret you did not feel you were able to ask for help-"

"I did not need any help." Tom snapped, losing his cool for a moment before biting his tongue. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, looking him over curiously.

"I know you dislike me, Tom-" Dumbledore began but Tom cut him off.

"I don't dislike you, sir." Tom said quickly and Dumbledore sighed.

"Yes, you do." He said, "And I don't blame you. I should have removed you from that orphanage a long time ago."

"Well its a little late for that now, isn't it?" Tom asked, letting his irritation take over for a moment, and Dumbledore nodded, looking almost sad. Of course now that I never have to go back again he feels bad, Tom thought viciously, after he made me go through 7 years of living in that hellhole.

"Yes, it is a little late." Dumbledore said, "I hope you can accept my apology."

Tom stared at him, incredulous. He was asking him to forgive him? 7 years, he had denied him the opportunity to stay at Hogwarts when other students had been granted that same privilege. 7 years he'd forced him to go back to that orphanage because he didn't trust him. 7 years he could have found Tom another place to live; another orphanage, a foster family, something. But he hadn't. Why? Because he hated him.

"There is nothing to forgive." Tom ground out, meeting Dumbledore's eyes and daring him to call him on his lie.

Dumbledore only sighed and Tom took this opportunity to make his escape.

"Sir, can I go now?" He asked, and Dumbledore nodded.

Forcing one last smile, Tom nodded and turned on his heel, glad to be finally free. He had to find Lyra before she did something stupid and heroic and ruined everything for the both of them.

Pushing open the door to the Slytherin common room with so much force that it banged against the wall, Tom entered the deserted room and spotted the back of a familiar head of blonde hair. Hearing him come in, Lyra jumped up from the couch and spun around to face him, a look of pure fury on her face.

"Lyra, I need to talk to you." Tom said firmly, striding towards her as she glared at him.

"No, Tom, not yet, I can't handle you right now-" Lyra said, walking away towards the door leading down to the girls' dormitories.

"Wait!" Tom cried, grabbing her arm and Lyra yanked her arm out of his hand, turning around to glare at him.

"You need to leave me alone." Lyra snarled, and Tom shook his head fervently.

"The ring." He said, "You need to promise me you won't break your vow."

"Oh bloody hell, Tom!" Lyra cried, throwing her arms up in the air, "Is that really all you care about? The stupid ring?"

"You don't understand." Tom snarled, "It's not just a ring."

"Look I know it's a Deathly Hallow but that still doesn't make it valuable enough to risk your life, and everyone else's over!" Lyra cried, and Tom bit his tongue, a crazy, terrifying idea occurring to him. No, Tom thought, this is most certainly a terrible idea.

"Come." Tom said, turning to walk towards the entrance to the boy's dormitories.

Lyra raised an eyebrow, staring at him incredulously, "You think you can just say "come" and I'll follow like a dog?" She snarled and Tom closed his eyes, taking in a shuddering breath to calm himself.

"Lyra, would you _please_ come with me." He said, "I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Lyra snapped, crossing her arms.

Tom clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Lyra, just come." He snapped, "It's about the ring. You don't know the whole story. I'm going to explain everything to you, you just need to come."

Lyra frowned, looking apprehensive, but finally took a few steps forward and Tom felt a simultaneous wave of relief and fear wash over him. You will regret this, Tom told himself, over and over again as he led the way down the stairs to his room, Lyra following along behind him.


	50. Horcruxes

**Thanks for the reviews KreepyKween, MeriemDjez, SylvesterTheCat, Guest, Yay, Cassie-011, and XsandraX! We are actually nearing the end of this story so from now until the end the chapters are going to be a bit of a whirlwind. I'll try to update as often as possible so the inevitable cliffhangers coming up don't traumatize you all too much.**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling! Enjoy :)**

Unlocking the door, Tom strode into the 7th year Slytherin boys' room and walked over to his own bed. Lyra followed along behind him, half wanting to leave and half wanting to know what it was he was being so secretive about. Tom knelt to reach beneath his bed, whispering spells under his breath, that Lyra assumed were to undo protective enchantments, before pulling out a bound leather journal. Lyra frowned in confusion before a memory of Ginny's face filled her mind. They'd said she'd been possessed by a diary belonging to Tom Riddle. Could this be that diary?

Trying to stop her hands from shaking, Lyra came over and sat on Tom's bed, watching as he pulled out a quill and began to write in the book.

"It's me." Tom wrote, the ink disappearing into the pages as he did.

Lyra frowned in confusion before her eyes widened in surprise as new words reappeared on the page.

"What do you want?" The book read before these words too disappeared into the book.

"I need you to show Lyra what we did to the ring." Tom wrote and Lyra felt her heart rate double.

"Tom-" She began but Tom shushed her, staring at the blank pages. This time, it seemed as if the book didn't want to answer. At last, a single word appeared on the page: "Why?"

Tom sighed, and began to write forcefully, "Because if we don't show her, I'll lose the ring and end up in jail."

Once again, the book was slow to respond, "Give me to her." The book said at last and Lyra felt her heart skip a beat.

Tom looked up and handed the book to her, his hands shaking slightly as he did. Lyra frowned. He was terrified. Why was he terrified? What information did this book contain that he was so afraid of sharing with her?

"What do I do?" Lyra asked and Tom handed her the quill.

"Introduce yourself." Tom said, and Lyra touched the quill to the book, her own hands shaking as she tried to write.

"Hi, my name is Lyra." She said, watching as the words faded away. This time, the book took no time to answer.

"Hi, Lyra." The diary said, "I have something to show you."

Lyra looked at Tom, nervous and he nodded, gesturing to the book. "Go on, say you want to see it."

"Show me." Lyra wrote, watching the words disappear.

For a moment, nothing happened and Lyra thought the book had decided against showing her after all. But then a bright yellow light shone up out of the book and engulfed her, and Lyra felt herself falling forward into the book. Her stomach lurched with the fall for a moment before she landed on her feet, perfectly safe, in a familiar corridor. She spun around herself, utterly confused, before she saw Tom walking towards her.

"Tom?" Lyra asked, "What is going-" Her voice died in her throat as Tom walked through her as if she were a ghost and Lyra frantically touched the wall to her left, watching her hand go through it. What was happening? Had Tom killed her and turned her into a ghost?

"Tom, my boy!" Lyra heard a familiar voice boom and she spun around to stare at the scene in front of her. Slughorn had opened the door to his office and was enthusiastically shaking Tom's hand. Lyra approached the two of them cautiously, watching as Slughorn invited Tom inside. Following quickly, Lyra slipped in to the Potion master's office and looked around herself. Noticing a calendar hanging on the wall, Lyra's eyes widened as she read the date. This was a memory, and judging by the year, a pretty recent one. Was this what Tom had wanted to show her?

Approaching Slughorn and Tom, she listened intently to their conversation, trying to catch every word that might be important.

"You see I was in the restricted section the other day," Tom said casually, "and I happened upon something I didn't quite understand." He said, frowning thoughtfully.

"Now, I wanted to ask you, sir, because I was afraid that the other professors...they might get the wrong idea."

Slughorn frowned, looking intrigued, "Well what is it, my boy?" He asked, and Tom hesitated, looking unsure.

"Do you know what a Horcrux is?" He asked, and Slughorn's face visibly paled.

"Why Tom, I'm not sure what book you were reading but that is incredibly dark magic." Slughorn said and Tom pressed on quickly.

"You see, I'm just confused, sir, as to how they are created." He said, "This is all strictly academic, of course." He said quickly.

Slughorn faltered for a moment before regaining his senses, "Well, murder, of course." He said, "Killing rips the soul apart."

"And how many Horcruxes is it possible to make?" Tom asked, his eyes lighting up with barely concealed excitement, "7 is the most powerful magical number, would it be possible, theoretically of course, to make 7 Horcruxes?"

"7 Horcruxes!" Slughorn boomed, "Tom, my boy! Isn't it bad enough to think about killing one person? But 7! This is all strictly academic, is it not?"

Tom nodded quickly, "Yes, of course." He said innocently, "Strictly academic."

Before Lyra could think, the scene in front of her faded away, the Riddle mansion came into view and Lyra felt her heart rate double. She watched as Tom walked up to the front door. He paused for a moment before knocking and Lyra slowly approached, not sure she wanted to see what was coming next.

When no answer came, Tom knocked again, his irritation growing. Lyra could hear the sound of voices from the dining room and she could even hear the chinking of plates as the Riddle family ate their dinner. Still, no one came to the door and Tom was rapidly losing patience.

At last, Tom seemed to reach the end of his patience and he pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door. "Alohamora." He said quietly, and Lyra heard the lock click before Tom slowly pushed the door open, entering the house. Lyra followed behind him, watching him as he examined the luxurious entranceway around them.

"Who's there?" A man's voice called and Tom made no reply, walking up to the doorway instead. Lyra followed him, watching as he looked into what appeared to be a dinning room. At the table, a middle-aged man Lyra recognized as Tom's father was seated next to an old woman and man, she assumed must be Tom's grandparents.

"Hello father." Tom sneered, a cruel smile forming on his face that sent chills down Lyra's spine. Tom Riddle Senior's eyes widened in shock and his grandfather stood up, looking angry.

"Who do you think-" He began but never go the chance to finish his sentence.

"Avada Kedavra!" Tom cried, and the old man fell to the ground, dead. His wife screamed, jumping up to run to her husband when Tom hit her with a green light and she too crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

Tom's father looked from his dead parents to his son in horror, and Tom laughed.

"You never thought I'd find you, did you?" Tom sneered, twirling his wand. "You thought you could just leave her with a baby and no money and go back to your perfect life without facing any consequences at all, didn't you?"

Tom's father opened his mouth to respond, but no sound came out.

"I look like you." Tom commented, raising an eyebrow, "Funny, isn't it?" He sneered. "That every time I look in the mirror I see the face of my filthy Muggle father."

"You are nothing like me." Tom's father snarled, and Tom laughed.

"No, I'm much more than you ever were." Tom sneered, approaching his father slowly, and Lyra watched as his father's eyes widened in fear as he grasped at his neck, seemingly having a difficult time breathing.

"I'm sorry, have you got something to say?" Tom sneered, and his father opened his mouth to speak but only a strangled sound escaped his mouth.

"You're going to die old man." Tom said calmly, a terrible smirk filling his face as his father's face turned blue.

With a flick of his wand, Tom released his father from the magical stranglehold he had had him in and watched, smirking, as his father gasped desperately for air.

"You are no son of mine." His father snarled, when he could finally speak again, his face filling with a look of hatred that mirrored his son's perfectly.

"Thank god for that." Tom sneered, "Avada Kedavra!" Tom cried, and Lyra watched as his father's eyes went blank before his body fell to the ground. Tom stared at his dead father, his features filled with uncontrollable rage and slowly approached him. With one foot, he nudged the man, a look of disgust on his face.

Lifting his wand once more, Tom pointed it down at his father's blank face. "Avada Kedavra." He said once more, a jet of green light speeding towards his father and shaking the body before disappearing.

Lyra felt tears begin to form in her eyes and she slowly approached him, reaching out a hand to touch him. Her hand went straight through him and Lyra suddenly wished to leave this godforsaken place, wherever she was.

"Tom?" Lyra asked, wondering whether he could hear her. "I want to leave."

No reply came and a terrifying thought coursed through Lyra. What if he'd trapped her in the diary? What if she was stuck in here, reliving his memories, forever?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Tom pulled out an old bound book, scouring the writing in it. A concentrated look on his face, he put the book down on a nearby coffee table and pointed his wand at his own chest. What was he doing? Lyra wondered, frantically. Quickly, she ran over to read the words in the book, barely comprehending what she was reading. Only certain words jumped out to her, forming a picture so terrifying she wanted to scream. One word, in particular, seared itself into the very fabric of her mind. A word she'd only heard used once before, in the memory she'd just left.

"Melalui kematian adalah kehidupan abadi." Tom said and Lyra whipped her head up to stare at him before his face contorted in agony and he began screaming.

Lyra jumped, staring horrified as Tom fell to his knees, something bright and green being drawn from his chest by the magic of his own wand. Tom gasped for air as the green light suddenly seemed to snap apart and part of it went back into his chest while the rest remained attached to the end of his wand. His hands shaking, Tom fumbled with the resurrection stone ring, that Lyra only now realized he was wearing. His trembling fingers, he managed to pull it off and it tumbled to the ground by his father's head. Still drawing in shaky breaths, Tom touched his wand to the ring and the green light disappeared into the ring. The ring flashed green once before returning to its normal colour and Tom collapsed, clutching his side as he struggled to breathe.

Pushing himself up onto hands and knees he threw up, his body convulsing with the effort of it, before he collapsed once more, still shuddering in pain. Lyra watched, horrified as he lay there, suffering for at least a minute before he found the strength to push himself back into a seated position. Reaching out to touch the ring, Tom gingerly picked it up, examining it. Lyra felt a shiver run down her spine as she saw him let out a shaky breath of relief and laughed, his eyes turning red for just a moment before returning to their normal colour.

Lyra struggled to breathe, "I've seen enough, Tom." Lyra said, looking up around herself as if she would find the real Tom somewhere up there. "I want to leave." She said desperately, " _Please_."

For a terrible moment, nothing happened, before suddenly the world around her took on a dream-like watery quality before the whole room twisted and slipped away and Lyra found herself thrown out of the book and back onto Tom's bed. She looked up, panting from terror, as she took in her surroundings. She was back in the Slytherin boys' dorm, in her lap was the journal and in front of her was a carbon copy image of the body she had just seen split his soul.

Lyra stared at him, as if just now seeing him for who he truly was. He stood in front of her, unmoving and Lyra felt her heart break.

"What-what was that?" She breathed, not wanting to comprehend.

"That is how a Horcrux is created." Tom said calmly, only his shaking hands giving away his true emotions, "A part of my soul is in the ring now. If my body dies, my soul will live on...in the ring."

Lyra stared at him, unable to breathe. He'd destroyed his own soul to obtain immortality...what else was he willing to sacrifice? It was too late for him...she was too late. He'd told her to come back when they were 9. He'd told her not to give the stone to her grandmother. And now she was too late.

"How many?" Lyra breathed. If he hadn't made more than one Horcrux so far, she had no doubt he would make more in the future. It all made sense now. He'd lost his hair, his nose, his dark brown eyes, his _humanity_ when he'd split his soul. Lyra looked down at the journal in her hands, her hands beginning to shake.

"Two." Tom said emotionlessly, nodding at the journal in her hands, "The ring and that."

Lyra took in a deep shuddering breath, running her hands carefully over the leather-bound journal.

" _Why_?" Lyra asked desperately, and Tom fixed her intently.

"Immortality." He said, "Obviously."

Lyra felt tears well up in her eyes, "But it's your soul!" She cried, "It's the most precious-"

"It's not precious." Tom sneered, coming to pull the journal out of her hands. "I was vulnerable as long as it was in one piece. Now, if my body dies, my soul will live on. In here." Tom said, flipping through the pages.

"But who's to say you're not already worse off than dead!" Lyra cried, jumping to her feet, "What's the point of living if you're so afraid of dying you cut up your own _soul_?"

"What's the point of living if you're just going to die anyway." Tom countered and Lyra stared at him, tears threatening to spill.

"Why are you crying?" Tom asked, suspiciously, and Lyra sat back down on the bed, putting her face in her hands in exasperation. He didn't get it. He just didn't understand.

"Because I'm worried about you." Lyra said, trying to stop the flow of tears, "I'm worried you're going to destroy yourself entirely in your quest for power and I just think it's such a waste!"

"It's not a waste." Tom said, "Not living up to my potential would be a waste. Letting myself die would be a waste."

"Even if it means sacrificing everything that makes life worth living?" Lyra asked, "Happiness, love, genuine relationships with other people, your own _humanity_.

Tom made no reply, staring at her quizzically, "Lyra I have been perfectly fine without all that nonsense all my life-"

"No you haven't!" Lyra cried, "You haven't been fine. You've been miserable and angry. In no universe does that qualify as fine."

Tom scoffed dismissively, "I have heard professors say I am one of the most gifted students Hogwarts has ever seen, I have pushed the boundaries of magic more in 17 years than most witches and wizards dream of doing in their entire life-"

"You weren't able to cast a patronus until yesterday." Lyra protested. "You were never happy."

Tom fell silent, his lips tightening into a firm line. "Lyra." He said warningly, but Lyra had long since given up on trying to prevent his temper from flaring.

"You're lonely." Lyra snapped, her anger from earlier resurfacing and mingling with the despair she felt. "And you're scared. That is why you're pushing me away."

"There is no reason to read your own emotions into my behaviour." Tom snarled, and Lyra stared at him in exasperation.

"Yes I'm lonely, I have no one in this world." Lyra snapped, "And yes I'm afraid, Grindelwald is invading the country to kill you! I don't have any issue admitting that I have feelings and I certainly don't feel the need to push you away because I'm scared of getting hurt."

Tom snorted derisively, his eyes burning with fury, "You can't hurt me." He practically growled.

"Can't I?" Lyra snarled, "What was it you said earlier? That one day I'd lose the ability to deal with what you were becoming and leave?"

"You will!" Tom cried, "In fact, the only reason you're even here right now is because you think you can change me. But you can't."

Lyra opened her mouth to protest but couldn't find the words and shut it again. He was, in all likelihood right. She couldn't change him; she couldn't stop him from ripping apart his soul. There would come a time when he would be so far gone that he wouldn't even be _capable_ of caring about her even if he wanted to. She would have to leave him then...just like he'd said.

"You know it too, don't you." Tom stated, somewhat bitterly. "Wake up to the real world, Lyra. There is no happy ending."

Lyra sighed, putting her head in her hands and trying desperately not to cry. Once she was more composed, she lifted her head to find Tom was looking at her with an expression akin to disappointment.

"Okay." She said at last, trying not to betray how close she was to breaking down.

Tom was silent for a moment, looking almost upset before he schooled his face back into an unreadable expression.

"You see now why I can't give up the ring?" Tom asked Lyra nodded, looking back over at the diary.

"I know." She said quietly, "We'll find another way."

Tom nodded, looking her over thoughtfully when Lyra had a realization that sent shivers down her spine.

"Wait so the ring, from the future, that Conan and I gave to Grindelvald..."

"It was a Horcrux, yes." Tom said and Lyra let out a sigh.

"No wonder you were so mad I gave it to him." Lyra breathed and Tom nodded.

"It's okay." He said, "It wasn't really me anyway. Not me from this universe anyway."

"I'm sorry." Lyra said quietly, "It was the only way I could think of to save your life."

"I know." Tom replied and Lyra looked up at him, considering him. He was doomed either way, Lyra realized, feeling despair wash over her. If Grindelwald didn't kill him, he'd destroy himself anyway. Either way, she was going to lose him.

It was painfully ironic, Lyra thought, almost wanted to laugh, how she'd come here to kill him and now she wanted nothing more than to save him. If Grindelwald killed him, there might never be a Voldemort...but then there wouldn't be a Tom either. If Grindelwald didn't kill him, there would be a Voldemort...but Tom would still disappear eventually. Still, Lyra thought, at least if he's alive there's a chance that maybe, just maybe, Tom might not disappear entirely. She couldn't change him...but that didn't mean _he_ couldn't change himself. The Voldemort who'd been responsible for her parents deaths had never cast a patronus. He'd never cared about anyone. The boy in front of her was different already...more different than even he knew.

But if Grindelwald killed him...well that would be Lyra's fault. She was the one who'd told him about the Deathly Hallows. It was because of her he'd taken his ring back and Grindelwald had noticed it was gone. It was because of her that Grindelwald would kill him if he didn't hand over the ring.

Lyra's hands stopped shaking suddenly as an idea came to her, filling her with a sense of clarity. Yes, thought Lyra, her sadness and despair evaporating, leaving behind only a numb feeling of absolute certainty in her plan.

She knew what she needed to do.


	51. You win

**Here is the answer to all your questions! Thanks for the reviews :)**

 **As always, all belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

* * *

Tom woke up early the next morning. As the memories of the previous day returned to him, he closed his eyes, willing them to go away.

He'd told her, Tom thought, clenching his fists. He'd told her about the Horcruxes and it was far too soon to tell if that had been a good idea. She had _seemed_ like she understood why he couldn't give Grindelwald the ring. She had agreed they would need to find another way...but something about her reaction had been off. She'd been so upset...weirdly so, Tom thought. She'd known for months that he was a murderer, so why had she reacted with such force to him splitting his soul? Why had that, and not the murders themselves, been what finally convinced her to give up on him?

She had given up too, Tom thought, angrily pushing away the unexpected pain this realization elicited in him. This was what he wanted, Tom reminded himself. Other people were nothing more than distractions, liabilities... _burdens._ It would be no good for either of them if they became more attached to each other than they already were.

And he was attached to her, Tom realized, feeling slightly nauseated by the thought. He had promised himself he would never let himself become so weak...so _dependent_ on another person. It made him vulnerable and vulnerability was not something Tom could afford.

Pushing these unwelcome thoughts from his mind, Tom sat up in bed, pushing the covers off him. He looked down as he heard something fall to the ground, frowning. It looked like a package...but how and why had someone left a package on his bed? Bending to pick it up, Tom stared at the unmistakably familiar handwriting on the package.

 _Tom_ , the package read in Lyra's tiny scrawl. Sitting back down, Tom tore open the package, his heart beat increasing as a vial filled with some kind of silvery liquid fell out into his hand. What the...Tom thought, before his eyes fell on a small piece of parchment still inside the package. Unfolding the scroll of parchment, Tom read the note, his panic growing with every word.

 _Dear Tom,_

 _By the time you read this I will be long gone. I have enclosed with this note a vial of my own memories that will explain everything. There is a pensieve in Dumbledore's office that you can use to view them. If you're afraid of being caught then I suggest you ward the door and do it at a time Dumbledore is away. If you decide not to view the memories, that is your choice, of course._

 _Lyra_

She was planning on giving Grindelwald the ring, Tom thought, panic coursing through his veins. That was the only possible explanation. Where else would she go? Quickly changing into his school robes, Tom grabbed the vial of memories, running up the stairs. He wondered frantically if he should check if the ring was still in the Room of Requirement before viewing the memories, but decided against it. If Lyra had found it, going up there would be a waste of time. If she hadn't, he needed to know where she'd gone as soon as possible.

Stopping outside Dumbledore's office door, Tom hesitated before pounding on the door. No answer came and Tom tested the door, feeling no wards in place. Why Dumbledore would think it safe to not place wards on his door while he was gone, Tom could not understand. The man was simply too trusting, Tom thought...either that or he didn't have anything to hide.

Pushing open the unlocked door, Tom entered the office, looking around himself. His eyes landed on the pensieve in the back righthand corner and he quickly turned to shut the door, setting up as many wards as he could. If he was lucky, Dumbledore was eating breakfast as he usually did at this time of the morning and wouldn't be back for at least half an hour. If he was unlucky...well...at least the wards were up.

Walking over to the pensieve, Tom pulled out the vial of memories, looking at them for a moment before pouring them in. With trembling hands, Tom gripped the edge of the pensieve, hesitating. What if it was a trap? Was it even possible to trap people with pensieves? Lyra wouldn't hurt him...would she? Tom pulled out his wand, running tests. Finding nothing out of the ordinary, he pocketed his wand.

Clenching the sides of the pensieve and pushing all paranoid thoughts from his mind, Tom slowly lowered his face into the pensieve, the memories washing over him like cool water.

 _Before he could blink, he was standing in a living room filled with warm colours and pictures of a little blonde girl. He looked around himself, noticing the little girl in the photos was sitting on the floor, methodically building a castle out of brightly coloured blocks. She looked to be about 5 years old._

 _"Lyra! Dinner's ready!" A woman called and Tom whirled around to stare at a woman with dark brown hair, who looked scarily like Lyra. His heart beat sped up as he watched the woman pick up the little girl as a man came in the room, picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet. Tom approached the man, trying to read the words on the page._

 _"More Death Eaters were arrested yesterday just outside of London." The man read before his wife grabbed the paper out of his hands._

 _"Robert, enough." She snapped, "Lyra doesn't need to be hearing about all that."_

 _Hearing her name, Lyra struggled to escape her mother's clutches and dropped to the floor. "I already know what Death Eaters are." She said, "Draco told Astoria and I they were You-Know-Who's followers."_

 _At this, Lyra's mother's face reddened and her father looked apprehensive, "Miriam-" He began but there was no calming down his wife._

 _"I'm going to kill Lucius." She snapped, "That's it. She's not going to Natalya's anymore. Astoria can come here if Natalya wants her to see her cousin."_

 _"Honey, you can't protect her forever." Lyra's father said._

 _Tom frowned, utterly confused, before the memory ended, swirling into the next. This time, Tom found himself in an old basement and felt a chill run down his spine as he looked around himself. He_ knew _this place. It was like he'd been here before._

 _Turning around, Tom spotted a young blonde girl, sitting on the floor, going through an old cardboard box. He watched her for a moment before she pulled out a velvet bag and looked up._

 _Recognition filled Tom's mind and sent him whirling. He knew that girl. He knew this basement. She'd been the one who'd somehow summoned him to the future with a colour-changing stone. But this was Lyra's memory...this meant..._

 _Unable to breath, Tom felt his hands shake as a 9 year old version of himself appeared out of thin air, looking confused and scared. His 9 year old self's look of fear quickly turned into apprehensive curiosity as he addressed the girl in front of him. Lyra. As he addressed Lyra._

 _"What is that?" Tom heard his younger self ask sharply, his voice betraying just how terrified he really was. The girl jumped, turning around to stare at him in surprise._

 _Tom watched their interaction, remembering every word like it had been yesterday. He'd been sure she was a Muggle too...then again, he hadn't known any other magical children back then. He'd almost been convinced he was the only one in the world when Dumbledore showed up at the orphanage._

 _"It's as if when I hold it you are brought to me and when you hold it I am brought to you." Tom heard Lyra say, jolting him out of his thoughts. Was there something to that? Was there some connection between them? Why had she come to the past and how had she made the trip?_

 _Tom watched, feeling renewed anger flare as he watched his younger self try to steal the stone from Lyra._

 _"I'm sorry." Lyra apologized, "I promise I'll come back."_

 _"You won't." Young Tom snapped bitterly._

 _"I will." Lyra assured him, and Tom realized, as he watched his younger self disappear, that she had come back. She'd just taken a lot longer than expected._

 _Tom followed Lyra up the stairs, watching her run down the hallway with excitement._

 _"Do you know what this stone is, grandma?" Lyra asked excitedly._

 _"Where did you find that?" Lyra's mother asked, a half smirk on her face._

 _"In the basement," Lyra replied, "When I held it in my hand a boy appeared."_

 _At this her parents exchanged a meaningful look and her grandmother smiled kindly._

 _"A boy appeared?" Her grandmother asked, gently, "How old was he? What was his name?"_

 _"He looked to be about my age but he was British and from the past. When he held the stone I even went into the past with him and ended up in his bedroom. His name was something really unique, I think it was Riddle. Tom Riddle."_

 _Tom watched as the look of mild amusement on her mother's face melted away into a look of utter terror. Her father's face had gone white and his eyebrows were knitted together. Her grandmother, for her part, looked as if Lyra had just announced she was dying of some terminal disease. Tom felt his stomach flip. 1990...how old would he have been then? 63?_

 _"What?" Lyra asked, clearly confused._

 _"Sweety, can I see that stone?" Her father asked and Lyra hesitated before she walked forward and placed it in her father's hand. Immediately, the stone began glowing a bright red and Lyra looked around the kitchen excitedly, clearly expecting to see someone appear. Only, no one did._

 _"Why doesn't anyone appear when you hold it?" Lyra asked._

 _"Because the boy you saw wasn't real." Her mother said abruptly, standing up and unceremonially plucking the stone out of her husband's hand. The stone turned a deep navy blue in her hand._

 _"If the boy wasn't real then why were you so scared when I told you about him. Do you know him or something?" Lyra asked, looking suspicious._

 _"This stone is incredibly dangerous. Do you understand me, Lyra?" Her mother said sternly._

 _Lyra frowned, "But why?"_

 _"It does not matter why. I want you to promise me you will NEVER under ANY circumstances touch this stone again. Do you understand me?"_

 _Lyra stared at her mother in mingled shock and confusion, tears beginning to prick at her eyes, "But why is it dangerous?!" Lyra cried exasperatedly._

 _At this, her grandmother quickly stood up and pulled her into a hug, "Honey, we're not able to explain it to you right now but I promise you will find out when it's time."_

 _Lyra pulled away from her grandmother to glare accusingly at her mother. "You know he told me you would say it was dangerous and take the stone away. Tom told me you would."_

 _"Go to your room." Her mother said venomously._

 _"Miriam, honey-" Her father began, shutting his mouth at the murderous look she gave him._

 _Lyra stood rooted to the spot, looking utterly confused. Tears threatening to spill, Lyra turned and ran from the room, taking the stairs to her room two at a time. Slamming the door to her bedroom behind her and locking it magically, she flung herself onto her bed, finally letting the tears come._

 _Tom watched her stare at the ceiling for a while, looking torn, before a new resolve seemed to fill her and she sat up. Lyra pushed herself off the bed and opened her bedroom door, tiptoeing down the hallway as silently as she could._

 _Reaching the top of the stairs, Lyra sat curled up in a ball on the first step, listening to the conversation going on in the kitchen below._

 _"We don't even know if it was him, Miriam." Tom heard Lyra's father reason, "Tom Riddle is a common name-"_

 _"A common name!?" Shrieked her mother, "How many people do you know named Tom Riddle?"_

 _There was a pregnant silence, and Tom looked down at Lyra, watching her squeeze her hands in distress._

 _"They were the same age, Robert." Lyra heard her mother say dully._

 _"Honey, the time turners are all under the strict protection of the ministry, how could she get-"_

 _"Well apparently she does! Or worse, he does." Lyra's mother snapped, pure hatred in her voice. What had he done to make her hate him that much? Tom suddenly found he didn't want to know._

 _"There could be other explanations," Lyra's grandmother said softly, "They could share a relationship through the stone without either one using a time turner."_

 _"I'm sorry, mother, but can you explain to me how that is at all better!?" Lyra's mother screeched._

 _"It could have been wrong." Lyra's father said._

 _No one spoke for a long time and Tom was beginning to think the memory was over when he heard the old woman speak again._

 _"Tom Riddle never had a single friend in all the time I knew him." Lyra's grandmother spoke softly, "If the stone is right..."_

 _Tom felt the ground go out from under him as the memory ended and melted around him like water. The old woman had known him? Who was she?_

 _Tom blinked, looking around himself in surprise as he recognized where he was for once. Hogwarts. She'd gone to Hogwarts. Tom found himself clenching his fists, a wave of anger washing over him as he watched a slightly older Lyra walk down the hall next to a brown-haired Ravenclaw girl. Lyra, Tom found to his great surprise, was wearing a yellow and black tie...the colours of Hufflepuff._

 _How much had she lied to him about? She'd said she was from Albania. Lie. She'd said she'd been homeschooled. Lie. She'd been sorted into Slytherin._ Lie.

 _"So Ginny's okay?" The Ravenclaw girl asked, and Lyra nodded._

 _"Harry saved her. From what I heard, he managed to kill the Basilisk and stab the diary with one its fangs." Lyra said, and Tom felt his anger evaporate, replaced by sheer terror. He picked up the pace, walking as close to the little girls as possible._

 _"I don't understand though." The Ravenclaw said, frowning, "How could You-Know-Who live in a diary?"_

 _"It was like a memory of him." Lyra explained, "Of his 16-year-old self."_

 _"That's not possible." The Ravenclaw said, "A memory can't possess you. It certainly can't kill you."_

 _"Well I don't know how it happened but it did." Lyra said certainly, "Even the diary said Tom Marvolo Riddle on it. It was definitely him."_

 _"So he's dead now?" The Ravenclaw asked, "If he was ever alive to begin with?"_

 _"Well whatever part of him was in that diary is dead, yes." Lyra said, her face falling ever so slightly._

 _The two girls were silent for a moment before the Ravenclaw turned to look at Lyra, "Do you think you should tell Dumbledore-"_

 _"No." Lyra said firmly, "That wasn't a memory. I went to his home too. Besides, I don't know where my mother hid the stone. I haven't even seen it since that day and believe me, I have looked everywhere."_

 _Before Tom was ready, the memory melted away, and Tom was thrown even farther into the future, the library at Hogwarts materializing before his eyes. A slightly older Lyra was sitting at a desk in the library, books and copies of the Daily Prophet spread out in front of her. Tom approached the table, looking over her shoulder. A photo of a black-haired boy with glasses and an old man with a long beard that Tom recognized as an old Dumbledore filled the front page of the nearest newspaper. The headline read, "The Boy Who Lied?" and Tom frowned, about to read the article when the Ravenclaw girl from the past memory walked through him, taking a seat at the table next to Lyra._

 _"Could you be any more obvious!?" The Ravenclaw cried, hurriedly charming the books so that they became unintelligible to Tom. "If Umbridge catches you reading this stuff."_

 _"He's back. I know he is." Lyra said, ignoring her friend, "Harry wouldn't lie about that."_

 _"I believe him too, but Lyra, what are you doing?" The Ravenclaw asked, looking concerned, "You've been stuck in here reading about bloody You-Know-Who for days."_

 _"Astoria, we need to know our enemy if we're going to stop him." Lyra said firmly and Astoria's frown only deepened._

 _"Who says we are going to stop him?" Astoria asked, "We are 14 years old and he is the most powerful Dark Lord ever to have existed."_

 _"Harry can stop him." Lyra said, firmly, "And he's only 15."_

 _Astoria sighed, "Lyra, Harry is just a boy who got lucky. No one knows what happened that day. For all we know You-Know-Who could have made a mistake and that's why the spell backfired."_

 _"His name is Voldemort." Lyra snapped, and Tom felt like he'd been slapped. "Actually, no." Lyra continued, "His name is Tom." She said more quietly, going back to her books._

 _Astoria looked at her friend in concern and Tom suddenly didn't want to see any more. As if hearing his silent plea, the memory melted around him and snippets of memories followed. A series of newspaper headlines flashed before his eyes, "You-Know-Who is Back" the first read, followed by a photo of a white-skinned red-eyed snake-like man laughing, "14 Muggleborns killed in an attack in London Monday evening", "Two Death Eaters arrested in connection with brutal murder of Muggle child". Tom clenched his fists as the newspaper headlines changed, "Albus Dumbledore killed by Death Eater Severus Snape", "Snape appointed new Headmaster of Hogwarts", "Cruciatus Curse to be new method of discipline at Hogwarts", "All Muggleborns must appear at Ministry for questioning"._

 _At last, the world melted around him once more and Tom found himself back in Hogwarts. This time, Lyra looked to be about the same age as she was now. She was sitting in a chair in front of a woman Tom assumed must have been her teacher._

 _"Miss Reed, I am so sorry." The teacher said, her eyes watering and Tom felt his hands begin to shake. No, he begged, no, please no._

 _"We just received news this morning of a Death Eater attack on a hideout near the Isle of Skye. Your parents have been counted among the deceased."_

 _"No," Tom mumbled, "No, I didn't- I didn't mean-"_

 _Lyra was still for a moment, her eyes glazed, before the world took on a hazy tone before going black. The next thing Tom saw was the inside of the hospital wing. Lyra was sitting on the bed, her face filled with fury and grief._

 _"I'm going to kill him." She muttered under her breath and Tom felt like he'd been stabbed in the heart. "I'm going to kill him." She repeated, as Astoria tried to console her._

 _"Lyra I'm sorry." He whispered desperately, "I'm sorry."_

 _Tom nearly jumped as Lyra laughed suddenly, "Story, I don't care anymore. This is the last time I'm going to submit to any rules of his." She snarled, and a glass on the table beside her bed shattered, making the matron come running._

 _"Ms. Reed! What is it that you think you are doing?"_

 _Lyra ignored her, swinging her legs over the side of the hospital bed. Before Madam Pomfrey could open her mouth to protest, Lyra had already grabbed her wand and sent a red stunning spell square in her chest._

 _"Lyra!" Astoria screamed as Madam Pomfrey crumpled to the ground, "What are you doing!?"_

 _"I'm sorry, Story. I have to do this." Lyra whispered, stepping over the unconscious body of the nurse, and running for the door to the hospital wing. Tom ran after her, following her as she ran up to the third floor, straight to the passage she had showed him back at the beginning of the year. So this was how she'd known how to get out of the castle, Tom thought._

 _"Girl, you would do better to stop right there!" The shrill voice of a woman called in a falsely sweet tone but Lyra ignored her, reaching the stone wall and whispering the necessary spells needed to open it. The passageway materialized and Lyra turned to face her pursuer. She hesitated, looking between the tunnel and the woman who appeared to be her teacher._

 _Run, you idiot, Tom thought desperately, his panic increasing as the woman sent a cruciatus curse at Lyra. Her face hardened as she deflected the curse easily and she stepped away from the tunnel. The woman raised her wand, with a twisted smile on her face, and opened her mouth to scream some sort of horrible curse. Only she never got to._

 _"Avada Kedavra!" Lyra screamed, pointing her wand at the Death Eater's face. Tom watched as the light left her eyes and her lifeless body crumpled to the ground in a flash of green light._

 _Tom stared at the dead woman, his heart racing. She'd killed her. She'd really done it. Lyra Reed, the epitome of goodness and kindness had killed a woman in cold blood. He'd known this...but seeing it was something entirely different. Before he could tear his eyes away from the dead woman, the memory melted away again and Tom found himself in a hallway. Lyra walked towards what looked to be a bedroom door and opened it, tears still drying on her cheeks, and walked over to a bed and picked up a package._

 _"How?" Tom heard Lyra breathe, as she opened the package. Tom watched as she pulled out the stone; only this time it was clear._

 _Lyra let the stone fall onto the bed, looking tormented. After a moment she pulled out her wand and pointed it towards the stone, whispering some spells under her breath. Tom watched as the stone shrank and his eyes widened in realization when he saw her put the stone in a ring. Her ring...it had been emerald green. She'd never taken it off..._

 _The moment Lyra put on the ring, the world around him disappeared and was replaced instantaneously with a place he knew all too well. Tom looked up as Lyra pulled out a yellow umbrella. Wool's Orphanage. The dreary building reared up behind them and Lyra stared at it for a moment, as if she knew who lived there, before turning to walk away._

 _Tom turned to follow her only to find the memory melt around him once again. This time the memory took him back to Hogwarts and he watched as the Sorting Hat screamed Slytherin and Lyra smiled grimly, as she walked straight towards his former self and took a seat across from him._

 _"Nice to meet you again, Reed." Tom heard himself say and closed his eyes, wishing he could strangle his former self._

 _Tom listened to the conversation, watching the way Lyra glared at him with barely concealed hatred. No wonder she'd hated him. He'd destroyed her life before they'd even met._ _Tom watched as Lyra sent the orange juice flying, spilling it all over his lap._

 _You idiot, he thought viciously, you should have known. All the signs were there, he thought to himself. The memories were moving faster now, slipping one into the other as Tom was forced to re-watch the past four months of his life. Snippets of conversations, fights...Merlin she hated him. It was apparent in her every word, every gesture. It was a kind of hatred he'd only seen in himself._

 _Feeling his stomach twist painfully, Tom watched as Lyra befriended Conan, willingly spilling valuable information to him. He watched as Conan betrayed her and she comforted him. He listened as they plotted his demise and Tom felt a stab of betrayal as she heard the plan. Lyra had only told him about the Deathly Hallows because was had been hoping he'd_ die _trying to find them. He watched as she joined him in the Chamber of Secrets and they made their unbreakable vows. He watched as she tortured him and then apologized. He watched as the hatred in her eyes faded, slowly being replaced by something else. A kind of look no one else had ever given him. He knew hatred, he knew jealousy, he knew pity, he definitely knew fear...no this was something different. It was so obvious he couldn't believe he hadn't noticed it before._

 _Tom_ _felt his stomach twist painfully as he watched Lyra defend him against everyone - claiming relentlessly that he was not that bad. Conan, Dumbledore, Elaina...who was her grandmother? Tom felt like screaming as everything he had thought he'd known about Lyra was proved wrong._

 _"What did he tell you?" Conan asked, glaring at her, "What did he promise you to gain your loyalty?"_

 _"You think he bribed me?" Lyra asked, genuinely offended, "Just because I'm against handing over an innocent boy to the darkest wizard of all time doesn't mean that I-"_

 _"Innocent!? He's a murderer Lyra!" Conan cried, "Are you even hearing what's coming out of your mouth?"_

 _Tom turned away, not wanting to watch anymore. Only, it was impossible to look away._ _The memories sped up again and Tom wondered when they would ever end. Having had enough, he tried to pull his head out of the pensieve and found he couldn't. Lyra must have charmed the pensieve, Tom thought, panic beginning to set in. He would be let out when the memories finished? Wouldn't he?_

 _"How can you hate something that is in your very blood?" Tom heard Lyra ask and he was jolted painfully from his thoughts, remembering this conversation._

 _"I hate it precisely because it is in my blood." Tom heard himself reply viciously._

 _"So you killed that little girl...Myrtle...because she represented the part of yourself you hate. The part of yourself that belongs to your father who abandoned you." Lyra said._

 _"Stop you idiot!" Tom screamed at his former self as the cauldron of potion came tumbling down, its contents just missing Lyra's hands as she jumped backwards. "You bloody-"_

 _Tom froze as the memory melted and the forbidden forest came into view. "No, Lyra, stop it." He pleaded, looking around himself. "Let me out." He begged as he watched himself abandon her and run away. He watched her fend off both dementors and save him, falling to the ground next to him and hugging him._

 _"I'm so sorry," He heard her mumble and felt tears prick at his eyes as he pushed her away and they fought. Tom wanted to plug his ears, he wanted to look away, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything but stare at the scene in front of him, regretting every word he'd said._

 _"You think the world would be better off without me." Tom heard himself sneer and wished he could slap himself._

 _"I don't." Lyra protested, but Tom carried on._

 _"I know you do, do not try to deny it. You think I am worse than worthless."_

 _"Then why did I save you from that dementor?" Lyra cried, throwing her hands up in the air, "Why did I protect you from the centaurs?"_

 _"Because you need me." Tom snarled, "You need me to help you fight against Grindelwald."_

 _Tom felt like throwing up as he watched the scene fade away, he watched Lyra apologize to him, try to explain she cared. He watched as he just dismissed her, unable to comprehend how she could possibly care. He watched as he resurrected his parents and Lyra willingly risked her life to test out whether or not the stone was still cursed because she didn't want him to get hurt._

 _He watched as Elaina found out who Lyra was and Lyra explained the whole story to her. He struggled to breathe as Lyra defended him once again._

 _"Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort because he saw no other path. He's brilliant - everyone knows that - but he's also incredibly angry. He's angry with his father, for abandoning him, he's angry with the Muggles at the orphanage, for rejecting him and mistreating him, he's angry at the world, for giving him such a bad lot in life. Can you really blame him?" He heard Lyra ask._

 _"It doesn't justify his actions." Elaina snapped._

 _"No," Lyra conceded, "It doesn't. But it helps us to understand and that's what's most important. No one has ever understood Riddle because no one has ever cared enough to try."_

 _Tom felt something break inside him, as the memory faded out and was replaced by the memory of Slughorn's ball. Of them dancing and smiling. He watched Lyra's happiness evaporate upon finding out Conan was gone. He watched himself yell at her, blaming her for the ring._

 _He watched as she spoke to Billy and played with the other children at the orphanage - making the friendships with them he had never been able to make. He watched as Amy and Dennis set her bed on fire and he watched as he helped her down the stairs, when she had her concussion. The memory melted away and Tom found himself back in the middle of the war again as Lyra ran towards the bunker in the dead of night._

 _"Where's Tom?" Tom heard her ask Mrs. Cole._

 _"I don't bloody well know!" Thee wretched woman cried, "He went to find you!"_

 _Lyra quickly began climbing the ladder again, causing Mrs. Cole to screech in protest._

 _"What do you think you're doing?" She snarled, pulling Lyra's hands away from the rails, "No one leaves this bunker until the bombing is over."_

 _"Tom is out there!" Lyra cried, "We're not leaving him!"_

 _"Lyra, come on, it's not safe." Billy said, coming up behind her and Lyra rounded on him, furious._

 _"No, it's not safe. It's not safe for him to be out there alone." Lyra snapped, before turning back to Mrs. Cole and glaring at the woman._

 _"You let me leave this bunker right now or I swear to Merlin the bombs will be the least of your worries." Lyra hissed, watching Mrs. Cole's face turn red and blotchy._

 _Receiving no answer from the red-faced woman, Lyra began climbing the ladder once more, fumbling around for the latch and eventually succeeding in opening the hatch enough to get out. Closing the hatch behind her, Lyra took off running towards the orphanage, nearly tripping on pebbles as she ran across the field._

 _"TOM!" Lyra screamed as she ran, looking around her in every direction._

 _"Tom!?" Lyra cried again, as loud as she could, as she entered the orphanage._

 _"Lyra!?" Tom heard himself call out and Lyra took off running towards the sound of his voice, finally spotting him in the kitchen._

 _"Tom!" Lyra screamed, running towards him and wrapping her arms around him._

 _Tom frowned in utter confusion as he watched them sprint back to the bunker, descending the hatch together. She'd come to the past to kill him...what had he done to make her want to save him? He'd been nothing short of rude, callous, and cruel to her and yet..._

 _"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, sliding down to sit next to him. Tom inched away from her, looking up at her after a moment._

 _"Reed, you don't have to pretend you care. I know you feel obligated but you should really go back to Billy, he looks like he misses you." Tom said darkly and Lyra followed his gaze to see that Billy was indeed watching them with a somewhat wistful expression on his face._

 _"No, Tom," She said urgently, grabbing and holding onto his hand despite his attempts to pull it away, "I'm not leaving you. I want to stay here with you."_

 _"What if I don't want you here?" Tom asked, almost childishly._

 _Lyra shook her head, holding his hand even tighter. "Well, I don't really care if you want me here or not. I'm staying." She said firmly, staring at him defiantly and Tom looked away as the memory melted away, being replaced by an image of Lyra crying on the windowsill of_ _the bookstore on Christmas Eve. While it had only been a few days ago, it felt like an eternity ago. Tom felt a weird sense of nostalgia, dreading what he knew was coming._

 _The memory ended sooner than Tom would have liked and the next thing he knew they were having the discussion he'd been dreading._

 _"I am Voldemort." Tom snarled, "And the sooner you understand that the better. We are not friends, I do not like you, I tolerate you. And one day, if you prove you are no longer useful to me, I will dispose of you."_

 _"I don't believe you." Lyra replied, trying to hide the hurt she felt, "You saved-"_

 _"Yes, and I'm beginning to regret it." Tom snapped and Lyra felt her hurt harden into anger._

 _"Why?" Lyra snapped, "Because I ask questions you don't want to answer? You say love is weakness? I think being unable to face your own emotions is weakness."_

 _"I don't have emotions." Tom snarled and Lyra laughed out loud._

 _"Then why are you so angry all the time?" Lyra snarled viciously and Tom opened his mouth to reply and then shut it again._

 _"Okay fine you want to know why I saved you?" Tom growled, "It was because if you died then I would be exposed. Remember that little trick you and Conan played on me earlier this semester? Well it worked. Now I'm required to go around saving you incompetent fool so that I don't end up in Azkaban!"_

 _Lyra looked as if she had been punched in the gut. Before the tears could escape her eyes, Lyra turned around, quickly walking towards the door and slipping out into the hallway. Tom felt guilt twist inside him painfully as he was forced to rewatch the pain he had caused her. This girl who had shown him nothing but kindness when he deserved none of it._

 _"Why? Why shouldn't I break my vow? My parents are dead and I'm unable to kill the man who killed them. I have no family and I'm stuck here all alone so really what does it matter if I live or die?" Lyra asked desperately._

 _"It matters to me!" Tom cried, shutting his mouth quickly._

 _"But- but you said-" Lyra stuttered._

 _"I lied." Tom ground out, and Tom closed his eyes as they kissed. He opened them again, hearing Lyra question his sincerity, in time to watch himself cast his first, and probably last, patronus ever._

 _It would never work...him and her. It couldn't...he couldn't..._

 _"Do you think that at the end of the day, after you've killed and tortured every last Muggle or Muggleborn, do you think you'll feel satisfied?" Tom heard Lyra ask and shook his head, not wanting to hear the rest._

 _"What does this have to do with anything?" Tom heard himself ask._

 _"Did you feel satisfied after you killed your father?" Lyra asked, "Did it quench your thirst for revenge or did it just make you feel more empty and more angry than ever before? How about when you killed Myrtle? Did that help? Do you think that if you went back and burnt that orphanage to the ground - and I know you think about it - do you really think that would make you feel any better?"_

 _"Lyra, this is entirely besides the point-" Tom snarled, seeing his eyes flash red the way Lyra had told him they did. It was unnerving to say the least._

 _"Tom, it doesn't matter how many Muggles you kill, you will always be the boy who was abandoned by his Muggle father and raised by Muggles who rejected him for being different." Lyra said and Tom's eyes flashed red once more, for longer this time, than ever before._

 _"Get out of my sight." Tom ground out as tears began to form in Lyra's eyes and the memory faded away, being replaced by her memory of learning about his Horcruxes. Tom looked around himself as the memory melted away, expecting the memories to end. Only, they didn't._

 _Tom looked around himself, finding himself on some sort of balcony. The Ravenclaw tower...Tom realized, looking around himself. Lyra stood next to the railing, looking out at the night sky. Tom approached her slowly, unsure what was going on._

 _"Hi Tom." Lyra said, without looking at him and Tom jumped._

 _"What- how-" He spluttered._

 _"Don't worry this is just a memory." Lyra said, "I made it just for you."_

 _Tom frowned, staring at her in confusion. He reached out a hand to touch her and found his hand slipped right through her. It was a memory after all._

 _"I expect by now you know who I am and where I'm from." Lyra said quietly and Tom felt his heart beat increase, "I hope you can forgive me for lying to you." She continued and Tom clenched his fists, trying to stop the way his stomach twisted with guilt. "I wanted to kill you and it took me a while to forgive you. To realize you're not yet what you will become. You kept trying to tell me that you were Voldemort and I kept thinking - if only Tom knew what Voldemort was actually like. So, I guess now you know." Lyra said, pausing._

 _"I want you to know though," Lyra said, her voice catching in her throat, "that I think you're one of those people who are destined to change the world - for better or for worse. Everywhere you go, everything you do...you can't help but leave your mark. It's just who you are. You're brilliant."_

 _Tom clenched his fists, unable to breathe, as Lyra carried on, a tear falling down her cheek,_ _"It's my fault Grindelwald is after you for the stone. In the original timeline, he never sought you out. He never even invaded England. So I've decided to fix that." Lyra said and Tom felt his heart rate double. "I'm going to set the timeline straight."_

 _Lyra fumbled with something in her coat pocket before producing a bottle of green liquid._

 _"Polyjuice potion." Lyra said quietly, "I stole it from Professor Slughorn."_

 _"Grindelwald won't be able to tell the difference," Lyra continued, "When he kills me he'll think he's killed you and you'll have time to escape."_

 _"No." Tom breathed, panic setting in. "No, Lyra-"_

 _"In case you're worried, I removed the spell I cast making a vial of memories appear on Dumbledore's desk. You won't be caught when I die._ _You'll be free to...reach your potential. I won't distract you any longer." Lyra said, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "You win." She said quietly, pausing to compose herself._

 _Tom felt a terrible sickening feeling in his stomach, "Lyra, that's not-"_

 _"I think I might have loved you but never mind." Lyra said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Goodbye, Tom." She said and Tom reached out to touch her, his hand just barely grazing her immaterial shoulder as the memory melted around him and he found himself thrown out of the pensieve._

Clutching the edge of the pensieve, Tom felt the sickening feeling inside him intensify. It was his fault, Tom realized, a wave of excruciating pain washing over him with such intensity that he almost collapsed. He'd destroyed her life and killed her family and how had she repaid him? She loved him, Tom realized, doubling over from the pain the realization brought. She loved him enough to die for him even when he'd pushed her away...even when she knew he'd grow up to become the monster that destroyed her perfect world. She'd given up everything for him, Tom realized, struggling to breathe.

"No," he muttered, fumbling desperately for his wand, "No, no, no..." He breathed, pointing his wand at the door to the office and blasting it open. He had to find Dumbledore, Tom thought desperately, struggling to make it to the door between waves of excruciating pain. _What was happening to him?_

Running down the hallway as fast as he could without collapsing or throwing up, Tom finally reached the doors to the Great Hall and pushed on them desperately, falling to the ground as they opened with far too much ease. The small collection of students and faculty members assembled at the breakfast table looked over in alarm, some standing up.

"Dumbledore," Tom breathed, his voice barely able to rise above a whisper, but Dumbledore seemed to hear him.

"Alert the hospital wing." Dumbledore instructed Headmaster Dippet, who was staring at his star pupil with wide eyes. Dumbledore nearly ran over to Tom as the dark-haired boy struggled desperately to get up. Kneeling in front of him, Dumbledore stared at him, his eyes wide with concern he had never shown Tom before.

"L-Lyra," Tom stuttered, beginning to shiver as waves of nausea passed over him. He clutched his side, as waves of stabbing pain washed over him, "G-grindel-delwald. S-she went t-to to..." Tom felt himself losing consciousness as the pain made it nearly impossible to speak. He reached out to grab Dumbledore's arm, using it to keep himself from collapsing entirely.

"Tom, what happened? Where's Lyra?" Dumbledore asked and Tom squeezed his eyes shut tightly as another wave of pain washed over him, stronger than the last.

"P-pensieve." Tom mumbled, and Dumbledore frowned.

"Pensieve?" He asked, confused and Tom nodded. Letting Dumbledore find the memories...it was all over. He would be put in jail or executed...his Horcruxes would be found and destroyed. He would be exposed for the monster he was. Dumbledore would be happy, Tom thought savagely, knowing he had been right all along. He had always been right about him...wasn't that why Tom had always hated him so much? Tom felt another wave of pain wash over him as he remembered the image of the snake-faced man with red eyes, the looks of terror on the faces of Lyra's family when they heard the name Tom Riddle...

 _You win_ , Lyra had said to him. Yes, Tom thought bitterly, he had won. He had brought the world to its knees, inspiring so much fear that people were afraid to even say his name. _Voldemort_ , Tom thought, hatred for the name burning him up inside. He would never let Voldemort win...he would never let himself win.

"Tom!?" Dumbledore exclaimed, alarmed as Tom slumped down even farther, his whole body shaking with spasms. "What pensieve? Where?"

 _I think I might have loved you._ Tom let out a short gasp of pain at the memory, Lyra's face flitting behind his mind's eye. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Tom thought desperately, wishing he could undo everything.

"Someone call St. Mungo's!" Tom heard someone exclaim, as if from far away, before a fresh wave of pain ripped through him, worse than the Cruciatus Curse...worse than the pain of creating a Horcrux...and Tom screamed.

* * *

 **Can anyone guess what's happening here?**


	52. Grindelwald

**Thanks for the reviews Guest, KreepyKween, Cassie-011, Guest, Elle Light, Poppy-Robins089, Ai Star, Kay722, 1emoncakes, ElinorSinclair, and SylvesterTheCat! Most of you guessed right about what happened to Tom ;)**

 **We're really into the final chapters now. I'm thinking there will probably be 2-3 more depending on how long it takes to wrap up the story. Thanks to everyone who's stuck with this story for so long!**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

* * *

Lyra wrapped the men's coat she had stolen from a Muggle clothing store around herself, shivering as she walked through the frigid London streets. She'd only seen Nurmengard in photos in the Daily Prophet and didn't trust herself to be able to apparate there based solely on a picture. No, instead, she thought she'd try Knockturn Alley. Surely someone there would know how to get to Grindelwald.

Catching sight of her reflection in the windows she passed, Lyra looked away, trying to push away the pain the image elicited in her. Tom's face was the last thing she wanted to see at the moment. It was truly unfortunate her face happened to look exactly like his at the moment. At least the Polyjuice Potion was working.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron, Lyra looked around herself, noticing subtle differences in the way people reacted to her. It felt strange to be so tall; everyone looked smaller than she remembered. The barman, also named Tom, nodded at her and she returned the nod, wondering how well Tom knew him.

Entering Diagon Alley, Lyra kept her head down, walking straight for Knockturn, afraid she would run into someone who knew Tom. Perhaps it was because it was the middle of the day, or perhaps it was because she had nothing left to lose, but this time, Lyra found she was not afraid at all of Knockturn. It looked more run down and impoverished than dangerous; more desperate than threatening.

Stopping in front of the bookstore Tom had brought her to on Christmas Eve, Lyra inhaled deeply to steady herself before entering. All at once, the familiar smell of the old bookstore filled her senses and Lyra had to once again push away the painful memories it elicited. It had only been a few days since her and Tom had been here last and yet it felt like it had been years.

"I need a way to get to Nurmengard." Lyra said, in Tom's voice, as she approached the woman behind the front desk.

The woman merely made a grunting sound, and Lyra raised an eyebrow, trying her best to imitate Tom's look of irritation. "I'm sorry, did you hear me?" Lyra asked again, hoping to Merlin her voice didn't waver and betray her fear.

"I heard you, you rat." The woman snapped, turning away and Lyra bit her lip, unsure what to do.

Making a split second decision, Lyra pulled out her wand and pointed it at the woman, " _Imperio_." She whispered, watching in horror as the woman's eyes glazed over, an empty but pleasant sort of look filling her face.

"Right this way." The woman said, bringing her over to an old roaring fireplace. Lyra approached it eagerly, still chilled from her walk. "My cousin Jim Jenkins lives near Nurmengard. You should be able to see it from his window."

Lyra's heart raced as she took the floo powder from the woman and stared at the fireplace. This was really it, she thought, no turning back now. Shaking her head to get rid of her doubts, Lyra threw the floo powder into the flames, watching as they turned green before stepping into the fireplace.

"Jim Jenkins." Lyra said firmly, closing her eyes as the soot flew up around her and a thousand different fireplaces spun past her. Feeling the world stop spinning at last, Lyra opened her eyes cautiously. The room in front of her looked to be the living room of some sort of wooden cabin. Pelts of animal fur hung loosely across the back of a chair and Lyra jumped as she saw a rat run across the floor, carrying a piece of bread in its mouth. Looking back and forth anxiously, Lyra slowly stepped out of the fireplace, wondering where Jim Jenkins was. As silently as possible, Lyra inched towards the door, her breath catching in her throat as she spotted a gigantic black castle looming in the distance.

"Wer bist du?" A man's gruff voice asked and Lyra spun around, her heart pounding in her chest. She had no idea what the man had said but from the looks of his face, she didn't want to stay to find out.

"I-um-I-" She stuttered, reaching for her wand as the man lifted his, shooting a stunning spell at her. Lyra deflected the spell just in time, sending another stunning spell at the man and hitting him square in the chest. He fell over with a thud and Lyra ran forward, checking to make sure he was okay before obliviating him and running out the door. Closing the door behind her, Lyra began the long trek up to the castle, the snow crunching under her feet. Around her, the Austrian Alpes rose up high and white, a beautiful backdrop for the ominous black castle in front of her. Pulling her bottle of Polyjuice Potion out of her coat pocket, Lyra took another swig, the green liquid burning her throat like fire as it went down. It didn't taste bad, Lyra thought to herself, just strong. Lyra wondered absently whether Conan was in the castle as she walked; hoping he was still alive and safe wherever he was.

After what seemed like an eternity, Lyra finally reached the front gates of the castle, her toes nearly numb from the cold. She was spotted almost instantly and quickly raised her hands in surrender.

"Wer bist du?" One of the guards asked and Lyra recognized it as the same question Jim Jenkins had asked her.

"My name is Tom Riddle." Lyra said, loudly, "I'm here to see Gellert Grindelwald."

The two guards looked at each other, mumbling low in German. Lyra ground her teeth together, praying she at least made it in the castle before she was murdered.

At last, the two guards looked back at her, suspiciously. "Grindelwald is not here." One said in a thick German accent and Lyra felt panic set in. If he wasn't here, then where was he? She only had so much Polyjuice Potion...

"I have the resurrection stone." Lyra said, watching as the two men looked at one another and then began discussing in German again. Lyra approached them slowly, her hands still raised in surrender. "I stole it from my uncle's cabin." She continued, "Surely you must have known about that. One of your men died that night. I _killed_ him." Lyra said, watching as their conversation stopped abruptly and they turned to consider her suspiciously.

"Who did you say you were again?" One of the guards asked and Lyra let her hands fall to her sides.

"Tom Marvolo Riddle." She replied, "You don't listen do you." She sneered, trying her best to imitate Tom.

This time, one of the guards turned to the other, giving him what Lyra guessed must be a command. The other nodded, and Lyra clenched her fists in fear as the black iron gates swung open on their own. Lyra stepped forward to enter the castle grounds when one of the guards pulled out his wand, pointing it at her.

"Incarcerous!" The guard cried and Lyra collapsed to the ground, wriggling as the ropes bound her.

Panicking, Lyra glared at the guards as they marched forward to collect her, hauling her to her feet. "Come, boy." One of them snarled, dragging her forward despite her tied legs. Lyra struggled for a moment more before giving in and letting them drag her into the castle. She was going to be thrown into a dungeon or fed to a dragon...Grindelwald had dragons didn't he?...or tortured or...Lyra's train of thought was cut off as the men let go of her in the middle of a large empty stone room. She had always thought Malfoy manor was cold but it was nothing compared to bleak stone of Nurmengard. Lyra twisted, trying to get comfortable despite the ropes, shivering. Even in the castle she could see her breath come out in white puffs in front of her.

One of the guards left the room, the other standing guard by the door, and Lyra waited, her mind wandering back to Tom again and again, despite her efforts to forget him. She wondered if he'd found her vial of memories yet. Had he watched them? Did he hate her now? He probably did hate her for lying to him, Lyra thought, a wave of sadness washing over her. Feeling her eyes well up with tears, Lyra quickly blinked, pushing these thoughts from her mind. It didn't matter what he thought of her; it was over. She'd failed to stop Voldemort, she'd failed to stop Grindelwald. She was doing the only thing left she could do by saving Tom. Hopefully it would even be enough to stop Grindelwald from attacking the school.

Just as her knees had begun to hurt from kneeling on the cold stone floor, Lyra heard footsteps once more and the other guard reappeared, exchanging a few words in German with his colleague. The other guard nodded, turning to walk back over to Lyra and haul her to her feet once again.

"It's your lucky day, Riddle." The guard said, as he pointed his wand at the ropes binding Lyra, making them vanish in thin air. Lyra let out a gasp of relief, clutching instinctually for her wand.

"Oh no." The guard said, wordlessly disarming her. Lyra watched in dismay as her wand soared out of her hands and into the gloved hands of the guard. "You won't be needing this."

Lyra swallowed nervously, as the two guards pointed their wands at her threateningly, "Walk." One of them barked out and Lyra stumbled forwards, catching her balance after a moment. She walked forward, unsure where she was going, the guards telling her to turn right or left or climb a flight of stairs every so often. She had a feeling she was heading deeper into the upper levels of the castle and had to consciously stop herself from bothering to remember the way out. She wouldn't be leaving this castle alive, she reminded herself.

At last the guards had her stop outside a giant wooden door. One of them approached the door, knocking loudly on it with his fist. Lyra clenched her fists, trying desperately to stop them from shaking as she heard footsteps approach the door. A lock clicked on the other side of the door before it slid open, revealing a man she'd only seen in newspaper articles and books.

"Hello, Tom." Grindelwald said and Lyra forced a smile on her face.

"Hello, Grindelwald." She replied as smoothly as possible given her utter terror.

Grindelwald smiled, baring his teeth in an almost predatory manner. "It is so nice of you to drop by. I had been wondering when we would meet." He said, closing the door behind Lyra so that she was alone in the room with him. "Your friend Conan has told me so much about you."

Lyra resisted the urge to snap at him and trying to keep her face impassive the way Tom always somehow managed to, "Oh?" She asked, trying to sound unconcerned, "What has he told you?"

"He says you have a propensity for violence." Grindelwald said smoothly, "An uncanny ability to charm and terrify other students into doing your will. From what he's told me, it seems you have all the makings of a future dark lord."

Lyra raised an eyebrow, trying her best to act the way Tom would in the situation, "Well you would know all about what makes a dark lord, would you not?" Lyra replied, letting just a hint of her anger come out.

Grindelwald laughed, "But that is where you are mistaken, my dear boy." He said, "I am not a dark lord. Everything I do is-"

"For the greater good." Lyra cut in, unable to stop her lip from curling in disgust. "I know."

Grindelwald stared at her, a mild look of irritation filling his face. "Do you wish to be immortal, boy?" Grindelwald asked, considering Lyra carefully.

Lyra hesitated, before cocking her head to the side, "Don't you?" She asked, watching as Grindelwald smiled slowly.

"No, Tom." Grindelwald said and Lyra stared at him in surprise, "I don't want to be immortal. I want to be master of death."

"What's the difference?" Lyra asked, frowning in genuine confusion.

"Immortality is a curse." Grindelwald said, "It is death that makes life meaningful. In fact, death is the most powerful magic of all. Without it there would be no life. To be master of death is to control life itself."

Lyra frowned, uncomprehending, "How can you control death?"

Grindelwald laughed, "You've killed, have you not, Tom?"

Lyra hesitated, before nodding.

"You decided the time of death of your victims. You decided how their life would end. That is a form of control." Grindelwald said, and Lyra was surprisingly reminded of Dumbledore by the cryptic way in which he spoke.

"What are the other ways?" Lyra asked, genuinely curious, but Grindelwald shook his head.

"They have only been hypothesized about." He said, a look of crazed fascination entering his face, "Only with all three of the Deathly Hallows will it be possible to test the hypotheses."

Lyra gulped. It was time. Time for her own death. "I think you have something of mine that you'd like to return?" Grindelwald asked, holding out his hand.

Lyra opened her mouth to respond when something far off in the castle blew up. Or at least, that was what it sounded like. Grindelwald quickly withdrew his hand, walking over to the window to look out at the snowy castle grounds below.

"Quatsch!" Grindelwald cursed in German as banging, shooting, and screaming filled the castle. Lyra ran to another of the windows, looking down at the grounds below. The court year of the castle was filled with witches and wizards fighting, sending jets of red and green and yellow at each other. What was happening? Lyra thought frantically, was the castle under attack?

"Stay here!" Grindelwald snarled, binding Lyra with ropes for the second time that day as he turned to walk towards the great wooden doors. Lyra collapsed to the ground, once more, struggling against the ropes.

Grindelwald made to open the door when it opened on its own and Lyra's heart stopped as none other than Albus Dumbledore appeared in the doorway. Grindelwald seemed equally taken aback, his eyes widening in confusion.

"Good afternoon, Gellert." Dumbledore said calmly, closing the door behind him. He didn't even so much as glance at Lyra, his eyes focused solely on the man in front of him. What in Merlin's name was happening? Lyra thought to herself. Had Dumbledore brought an army to attack the castle? What about his blood pact?

"What are you doing here, Albus?" Grindelwald asked, sharply.

"I'm here to collect my student." Dumbledore replied calmly, "I'm sure you have been treating her kindly but I'm afraid it's time we left."

" _Her_?" Grindelwald asked, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Oh were you under the impression that is Tom Riddle you have tied up in the corner?" Dumbledore asked, finally looking over at Lyra, who stared at him wide-eyed.

Grindelwald turned to stare at Lyra, his face a mixture of confusion and anger, before turning to glare at Dumbledore, "You're playing with me, Albus." He snarled, "You always did love mind games."

An ear-splitting blast came from down below, shaking the walls and Lyra closed her eyes, wishing she could cover her ears. A look of fear crossed Grindelwald's face, replaced quickly by a look of anger, "You can't fight me." Grindelwald said, and Dumbledore nodded.

"I can't." He agreed, "But is stopping all this madness really fighting you, Gellert?" Dumbledore asked and Grindelwald pulled out his wand, shooting a spell at Dumbledore with lightening speed. Dumbledore deflected it easily, and Grindelwald laughed, the sound making the hair on Lyra's neck stand up.

"Finally found a way to break the blood pact, I see." Grindelwald sneered, shooting another spell at him. Dumbledore deflected it, shooting another spell back. Grindelwald met it with a spell of his own, the force of which pushed it back, forcing Dumbledore back a step.

"I didn't break it." Dumbledore said, pulling out a vial filled with red liquid that Lyra could only assume was blood, and Grindelwald stared at him, utterly perplexed.

"Then how-" He began, his face contorted in angry confusion.

"Fighting is an ambiguous term." Dumbledore said, and Grindelwald sent another spell at him, restarting the duel. "With blood pacts, it is not usually interpreted as literally as one might think." Dumbledore said, sending spell after spell at Grindelwald.

Grindelwald paused, his wand still raised, "Spit it out already." He snarled, sending a red spell at Dumbledore. "Stopping you-" Dumbledore said, sending off another spell, "-from destroying yourself-" he continued in between spells, "-is not fighting you." He said and Grindelwald's face contorted into a look of pure fury.

"You hypocrite!" Grindelwald snarled, in between spells, "You wanted this too! It was _our_ dream! _Our_ plan!"

"I was wrong!" Dumbledore cried, an edge to his voice that Lyra had never heard before. "I should have been-" he said in between spells, "-looking after my family-"

"What about me?" Grindelwald snarled, sending spell after spell at Dumbledore, "Was I not like family?"

"We killed her!" Dumbledore cried desperately, finally succeeding in hitting Grindelwald square in the chest with a spell that sent him reeling. Lyra held her breath as Grindelwald fell over, his wand flying out of his hand and into Dumbledore's outstretched palm.

Grindelwald struggled to get up, panicking when he saw his wand in Dumbledore's hand. "It's over, Gellert." Dumbledore said, as yet another blast rocked the castle.

"I'll kill you for this." Grindelwald snarled, glaring at Dumbledore. Lyra watched as Dumbledore's face fell, a look of sadness filling it that made her heart break. She knew that sadness.

"No," Dumbledore said quietly, "I'm afraid you won't." He said, wordlessly pointing his wand at Grindelwald until the man collapsed unconscious.

* * *

Tom opened his eyes slowly, feeling strangely warm. The winter sun was pouring in the window, illuminating the room, and Tom blinked, wishing it was not so bright. Tom frowned, completely and utterly disoriented for a moment before his memories came flooding back, bringing with them an overwhelming tide of pain and fear. Tom's eyes flew open, his heart racing as he stared around what he assumed must be a hospital room. His eyes landed on Dumbledore, who smiled with irritating calmness.

"Where's Lyra!?" Tom cried, struggling to push himself up into a seated position, only to find that his entire body ached. It was as if he'd broken every bone in his body.

"She's safe." Dumbledore said quickly, and Tom stared at the man, his hands gripping the blankets desperately, as he took in his words. "She went out to get coffee, if you want a more specific answer. She'll be sorry she missed you wake up. She's been sitting here, waiting for you to wake up for the past few days."

"The past few days?" Tom asked, uncomprehending. There was no way he'd been unconscious for that long. "What about Grindelwald? How did-"

"The war is over." Dumbledore said, sighing. He looked tired, Tom thought. "Grindelwald is in jail."

Tom frowned, " _How_?" He demanded, utterly confused.

"We dueled." Dumbledore said simply, "I won."

Tom's frown deepened, a look of suspicion filling his face, "I thought you had a blood pact with him."

"I do." Dumbledore said, looking almost sad.

"Then how-" Tom began, feeling irritated with the professor's vague answers.

"The pact was to not fight each other." Dumbledore said, "I naively thought that meant physically."

Tom raised an eyebrow, waiting for Dumbledore to continue.

"I realized, you see, after watching Lyra's memories, that I did not want to fight Grindelwald. I wanted to fight the darkness inside him. We did not intend to harm each other when we dueled and for this reason the pact wasn't broken." Dumbledore said, and Tom closed his eyes, trying to regain control over himself. Of course...he'd told Dumbledore to find the pensieve. It was over. It was _all_ over.

When he finally opened his eyes, they were cold and guarded, "You saw." Tom said.

Dumbledore nodded slowly, his blue eyes looking sad, "I saw." He said and silence fell between them for a moment.

"How does it feel to be right?" Tom sneered, clenching the blankets with his fists, "You always suspected me and no one else believed you. You must have been so pleased to find out I'm even more depraved than you feared."

Dumbledore shook his head, his eyes suddenly looking brighter than before, "I'm so sorry, Tom." He said, making Tom's skin crawl. "I let my own personal feelings get in the way of helping you. If I had known just how far...how far you'd gone..." Dumbledore hesitated, seemingly unable to form words, "I failed you."

Tom snorted, his eyes darkening, "There's nothing you could have done, _professor_." Tom sneered, "I know this may be difficult to reconcile with your grandiose sense of self, but the truth is you would have been incapable of changing me even if you had tried."

A slight smile formed on Dumbledore's mouth and Tom frowned. What was funny?

"It's so refreshing to finally have an honest conversation with you, Tom." Dumbledore said, and Tom resisted the urge to curse him.

Silence fell once more before Tom finally dared ask the question that had been burning in the back of his mind ever since he'd woken up.

"What happened to me?" Tom asked, not entirely sure he wanted to know the answer. A small voice inside him protested that he already knew the answer; he just didn't want to hear it.

"Remorse, Tom." Dumbledore said, "Your soul is whole again."

Tom felt his breath go out of him as he sat there, struggling to breathe, his hands shaking. It was truly over. He was going to die. Dumbledore would turn him over to the Ministry and he'd be executed or imprisoned or...Tom closed his eyes, taking deep breaths as he tried desperately to slow his racing heart.

When he opened his eyes again, Dumbledore stood up, placing on his lap the ring and diary that had once contained parts of his soul.

"How did you find these?" Tom asked, shakily.

"Magical trail." Dumbledore said, simply, "When your soul mended itself it left behind in its wake a trail of sorts leading back to the objects it had come from."

Tom privately thought that sounded made-up but nodded, accepting it. "So what now?" He asked, trying to hide the fear he felt, "Are you going to kill me?"

At this, Dumbledore's eyes flew open in surprise and he shook his head, "No, Tom. Of course not." He said, and Tom frowned.

"Azkaban then?" He snarled, "Dementors' Kiss?"

Dumbledore shook his head, "No, I don't think either of those options would be appropriate."

"Then what?" Tom snarled, "You're not going to let me go free."

Dumbledore hesitated, "I had wanted Lyra to tell you this herself...but I suppose if you really want to know..."

"What?" Tom snapped.

"I'm sending you to the future, Tom." He said and Tom stared at him in shock.

"I think, given the circumstances, you deserve a second chance." Dumbledore said and Tom frowned, confused. "And I certainly think it is high time Lyra was returned to her family."

"That's it?" Tom asked, waiting for the catch.

"That's it." Dumbledore said, "Of course, you will be under my supervision for the first year or so." He said. And there's the catch, Tom thought to himself, grimly.

"Your supervision?" Tom asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Lyra will be required to finish her 6th year and complete her 7th unless she is prepared to explain to the Ministry how she completed half of her 7th year courses in 1943." Dumbledore said, "I think it would be best if you also stayed at Hogwarts for at least the remainder of this school year to complete your 7th year NEWTS."

"And then?" Tom asked, sharply, "After I graduate? Will I be free to do as I please or will I have to report back to you every time I so much as cast a spell?"

Dumbledore smiled, his pleasant expression grating on Tom's nerves. "We will reassess the situation at the end of the year."

Tom snorted, looking away. He knew what that meant. It meant a lifetime of having his every move monitored by his least favourite person in the world. Still, it could be a lot worse, Tom reminded himself. He could be dead. On the other hand, Tom thought grimly, what was he going to do with his life now that the only path he had ever envisioned for himself was no longer an option?

The door to the hospital room opened suddenly and Tom looked up, his heart stopping as Lyra saw him and froze. Tom felt the terrible feeling of remorse overtake him again, making him want to throw up. Lyra, for her part, looked terrified, her hands shaking as she struggled to hold on to her coffee.

"Well, I think I'd like to get some fresh air." Dumbledore said, breaking the silence. Tom and Lyra immediately broke eye contact, looking away awkwardly as Dumbledore stood up and left the room, leaving the two of them alone together.

Lyra walked over to a nearby table and put down her coffee, her hands still shaking violently, as Tom tried to calm his racing heart enough to speak. She turned to look at him, twirling the hem of sleeves in her hands as she finally forced herself to look at him. Tom looked up, meeting her eyes with great difficulty.

"I'm sorry." Tom said at last, his voice breaking as he clenched the blankets so hard his nails dug into his palms.

At this, something in Lyra broke and she ran towards him, wrapping her arms around him as he struggled not to let the tears pricking at his eyes fall. Shakily, Tom managed to warp his arms around her too, feeling her comforting warmth envelop him. He didn't deserve this, he knew. He never would deserve it. But Tom knew he was far too selfish a person to ever let it go again.

After a moment, Lyra pulled back, and Tom realized she was crying. Before he knew what was happening, she was pressing her lips to his with a kind of desperation. Tom kissed her back, running his fingers through her hair and wishing the moment would never end. All too soon, Lyra pulled back, staring at him with a look that made Tom's heart break.

"What were you thinking?" Tom asked, still unable to believe she was really safe, "Promise me you will _never_ do something like that again." Tom demanded, his hands still shaking as he moved them down her arms to grab her hands, squeezing them tightly.

Lyra shook her head, "It was my fault Grindelwald was after you." She said and Tom closed his eyes to calm himself before answering.

"No, Lyra." He said firmly, "It was my fault you came here in the first place. You had every right to kill me for what I did- for what I would have done."

"No one has a right to kill." Lyra said, brushing a stray piece of hair off his forehead in a way that sent shivers down Tom's spine. Tom closed his eyes, overwhelmed by the feelings of self-loathing that never seemed to abate. He'd always hated himself, Tom realized, recognizing the feeling. He'd just never allowed himself to acknowledge the fact.

Tom heard the bed creak as Lyra sat down next to him and he opened his eyes and attempted to move over to give her more room. He gasped in pain as moved over, his entire body protesting against the simple movement. He wondered absently how long it would be before everything stopped hurting so much.

"Are you okay?" Lyra asked, noticing his gasp of pain, and Tom snorted.

"I should have died." Tom sneered, "Most people don't survive the process of mending their soul."

At this, Lyra wrapped her arms around him tightly as if afraid he would disappear and Tom let himself lean into her, lessening the pain somewhat.

"You're not most people." Lyra said, leaning her head against his, and Tom wished she would stop complimenting him. What did she see in him anyway? There was nothing admirable in him...

"Dumbledore told me he's sending me to the future with you." Tom said quietly, feeling Lyra turn to look at him.

"And how do you feel about that?" Lyra asked and Tom was silent a moment, unsure how he felt. Meaninglessness. That was all he felt. Emptiness was all that the inferno of his rage had left in its wake. There was no point to his existence.

"Fine." Tom said, tonelessly and Lyra pulled away so that she could sit, facing him on the bed, pulling his hands into hers.

"Tom, you can still have a great life." Lyra said, "You can be anything you want."

"Except for a murderous psychopathic dictator." Tom sneered and Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Well that's your choice." She pointed out, and Tom stared at the blankets on the bed, realizing consciously for the first time that it was his choice. He had chosen to give up becoming Voldemort _before_ his soul had been mended. He had chosen to never create a world in which Lyra would lose her family. Perhaps that was the one good thing he'd do with his life.

"You could be professor, a researcher, a Ministry worker...you could even be Minister for Magic!" Lyra said, excitedly, and Tom snorted.

"You really think Dumbledore will let me near any position of power?" Tom sneered and Lyra shrugged.

"Dumbledore won't be around forever." She said, and Tom almost laughed, taken aback by the darkness of her statement.

"I'm just saying!" Lyra said defensively, "Dumbledore's not going to control your life forever. He's giving you a second chance - he wouldn't do that if he didn't trust you to some extent."

Tom snorted, "He doesn't trust me." He said, "He feels responsible for the way I turned out and wants to redeem himself."

"He is responsible." Lyra said, a hint of anger entering her voice, "Him and Mrs. Cole and all the children in the orphanage and your parents and-"

"Lyra." Tom snapped, pulling his hands away from her, "No one is responsible for my actions except for myself. There is a part of me that is dark and will always be dark no matter what you or anyone else does."

"There is a part like that in everyone." Lyra said, and Tom remembered the look of fury on her face as she killed her own teacher. Perhaps she was right. "It's part of being human."

"Humans are disgusting." Tom said, wrinkling his nose in disgust and Lyra laughed.

"Most of the time they're just trying to get by." She said, "Most of the time they're just scared."

Tom snorted, falling into silence. Lyra ran her hand over his arm gently, sending shivers down his spine.

"Thank you." Lyra said, and Tom froze, feeling his heart beat increase. "You saved not only my life, but my parents, my friends...you saved the lives of thousands and thousands of people that would have been killed by you or Grindelwald. You can't even imagine the terror of living under Voldemort's regime..." Lyra said, shivering.

"I can imagine." Tom said, knowing full well what he had intended. Looking down, he ran his finger over the green gem in Lyra's ring.

"I thought you were such an idiot." Tom said, almost smirking as he remembered his first encounter with Lyra all those years ago.

"I thought you were a git." Lyra said, laughing. "I felt terrible afterwards though. When my mother took the stone and I couldn't come back."

"You did come back though." Tom said and Lyra nodded, smiling.

"And I don't intend to leave again." Lyra said and Tom turned to look at her, suddenly overcome with how badly he wanted her to stay with him. Part of him screamed that she would leave him, that trusting her would only weaken him, and that she would inevitably betray him. He'd vowed never to trust another human being; never to love another human being...but what did he have to lose? He'd already lost everything. She was all he had left...or perhaps she was all he'd ever had...

"I love you." Lyra said, as if reading his thoughts, and Tom felt his eyes water. Trying desperately to stop the tears from falling, Tom looked away, glaring at the blankets on the bed. What was _wrong_ with him?

"I love you." Lyra repeated, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek and Tom felt the tears spill from his eyes despite his best efforts. Lyra pulled him into a hug once again as he cried for the first time in his life. Once he began he found it was impossible to stop so he just sat there and let Lyra hug him, the sobs racking his body.  
He had no idea how much time had passed before he finally managed to find his voice again.

"I think I...love you too." He whispered, and Lyra turned to kiss him on the forehead, gently smoothing his hair back, her own eyes bright with tears.


	53. Goodbye

**Wow it has been forever! I'm so sorry for the huge wait! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and read this story, you have all been so amazing throughout the past few years. This is the 2nd last chapter. I'll try to post the last chapter this week.**

 **All belongs to JK Rowling!**

The rest of the week passed in a blur of chess games, hospital ice cream and old Muggle novels. Lyra sat by Tom's bed every day, only leaving to grab food and to sleep at night in a local inn, paid for by Dumbledore. After a few days, Tom was strong enough to stand up and five days they were able to take walks through the hospital, looking in on the other patients. Tom didn't much like this activity seeing as the sight and smell of sick witches and wizards deeply disgusted him but the nurse insisted the walks were necessary to rebuild the strength he had lost. To Tom's annoyance, Lyra managed to make friends with some of the Healers and even some of the patients on their daily walks and insisted on dragging Tom over to talk to them whenever they left the room. Tom didn't understand the point of making friends with people they would surely never see again once they left the hospital.

As much as he disliked them, these friends came in handy on New Year's Eve when Lyra decided to throw a small birthday party for Tom. Knowing he would be more stressed than happy to spend his birthday with a bunch of people he hardly knew, Lyra limited the actual "party" part of the party to a Happy Birthday banner strung across the wall in the hospital wing and a cake a Healer had bought at a Muggle bakery down the street. Lyra had accidentally let it slip that she didn't have any money left to buy Tom a birthday cake and the old woman had promptly disappeared and reappeared with a chocolate cake and a banner which was stored in the staff room until the 31st.

"What do you usually do for your birthday?" Lyra asked him as they took their daily walk on New Year's Eve. Lyra had been charged with distracting him while the nurse set up the banner and cake in his room. "Did you ever do anything to celebrate?" Lyra asked, and Tom snorted, looking almost amused.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Lyra." He said and Lyra involuntarily tightened her grip on his hand. If Tom noticed, he didn't say anything, and Lyra was glad.

"What would you like to do for your birthday then." Lyra said, and Tom shrugged, thinking.

"Get out of here." He said at last, looking around the hallway with disgust.

"We could go to the roof and watch the fireworks." Lyra said but Tom shook his head.

"Do you want to freeze to death?" He asked, and Lyra hummed, trying to think of other ways to "get out".

"We can call Dumbledore and see if he can take us somewhere." Lyra said and Tom actually laughed.

"The last person I want to see on my birthday is that slimy, old-"

"Well it's good to see you too, Tom." Dumbledore said from behind them and Lyra jumped, spinning around.

"Happy New Years," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling in amusement at the mutinous look on Tom's face. "Happy Birthday Tom."

"What are you doing here?" Tom asked suspiciously and Dumbledore laughed.

"I came to wish you happy birthday, of course." Dumbledore said, "Although now I see the best present I could have given you was my absence."

"It's not too late." Tom said helpfully and Dumbledore laughed.

"I did have a few other reasons for coming down here." Dumbledore said and Tom snorted.

"Of course you did." Tom said dryly. Dumbledore ignored him this time, turning to Lyra instead.

"Is there somewhere we can talk?" He asked and Lyra opened her mouth to say that Tom's room would be fine and then shut it again, remembering the party.

Tom looked at her strangely and Lyra mentally kicked herself. "Um - uh - of course. Tom's room is- is fine." She said, hoping they had everything set up.

"Wonderful!" Dumbledore said, leading the way towards the room. Lyra hurried to keep up with him, dragging Tom along with her. At last they reached the room. The door was closed and Lyra took this to mean everything was ready. Dumbledore pulled open the door, jumping in surprise when a small group of Healers and patients yelled "Happy Birthday!" as he did.

Lyra looked at Tom, whose face was a cross between confused and overwhelmed. Lyra watched him take in the banner and the cake, his expression quickly becoming unreadable.

"Well it looks as if you are quite popular here, Tom." Dumbledore said, as Tom forced a smile, thanking the grinning party members.

Tom ignored him, giving Lyra a look that clearly asked "Did you do this?" before succumbing to the peer pressure to cut the cake. Tom cut slices for everyone present, even Dumbledore, and at a Healer's insistence, one for himself.

"Bloody good cake!" An old wizard in a wheelchair exclaimed hoarsely. "You know my birthday is next week, if I'm not dead by then..."

"Archie your birthday is in June. It's in your medical files. How stupid do I look?" A Healer reprimanded sharply and Lyra stifled a laugh, stuffing her face with cake instead.

"This was your idea, wasn't it." Tom whispered to Lyra as Dumbledore chatted with the Healers.

Lyra looked up, worried he was angry with her, and nodded. "I know you hate parties and...you know...people...and I swear I didn't know Dumbledore was going to be here, he just-"

"Thank you." Tom said, cutting her off and Lyra stared at him for a second to make sure he was being genuine. "No one has ever..."

Lyra nodded and Tom looked away, eating his cake with intense concentration. Lyra felt her love for him swell inside her so much that it hurt.

"I have good news." Dumbledore said brightly, coming over to join them as the Healers and patients slowly filtered out of the room. "Your Healer just told me she thinks you'll be fit to leave within a matter of days."

"That's great!" Lyra exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement consume her. It was almost time to go home. Finally.

"Indeed." Dumbledore agreed, looking over at Lyra. Something in his expression made her wary and she frowned as he went to close the door, leaving the three of them alone in the hospital room.

"I also thought you'd be interested to know that Conan is back at Hogwarts." Dumbledore said, his tone careful.

Lyra's eyebrows shot up, her heart beat increasing, "Is he- is he okay?"

"You'll have to talk to him yourself when you get back." Dumbledore said, and Lyra nodded, wondering what that meant. She wanted to press him for more information but she had another question she'd been burning to ask him.

"And Elaina? Did it work?" Lyra asked desperately, searching Dumbledore's face. To her immense relief, his expression softened and he smiled, nodding. Lyra let out a breath of relief, trying to stop the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes. The image of Astoria swam before her eyes. She would live now.

" _How_?" Tom asked, incredulously.

"The Elder Wand defies all rules." Dumbledore said simply, "It simply cannot fail."

"But you're not a relative...you didn't lose your magic-" Tom protested.

"All of that is irrelevant to the Elder Wand. I cast one spell to lift the curse - it succeeded."

Tom stared at Dumbledore, his face a mixture of shock and raw desire. He wanted the wand; he might always want the wand. Lyra felt her heart sink for a moment before Tom looked away; the look of desire gone.

Lyra knew Tom's expression had not been lost on Dumbledore when he sighed, pulling out the wand and running his fingers over it. Tom looked at it dispassionately, his expression cool.

"I must confess I am afraid I am not the man to be entrusted with this kind of power." Dumbledore said, looking directly at Tom. Tom stared back; his face unreadable.

"When I was young, I craved power." Dumbledore said, pocketing the wand. "I was brilliant and I felt my talents were being wasted because I was forced to stay at home and take care of my sister instead of pursuing my own ambitions."

Dumbledore paused and Tom stared back at him evenly. His veiled interest just barely perceptible to Lyra.

"I killed her. My sister." Dumbledore said, a haunted look coming over his face. "Not intentionally of course...but it was my fault nonetheless."

Lyra's head snapped up as she remembered the conversation she had overheard between Dumbledore and Grindelwald before she had been rescued. Was this what they had been talking about?

"Grindelwald and I had plans. We wanted to create a new world order in which Muggles would be made into the underclass of the wizarding world; we considered this their proper place." Dumbledore continued, "My brother, my infinitely wiser brother, tried to talk us out of our madness and...we fought. My sister, Ariana, was caught in the crossfire."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment and Lyra stared at him, realizing she had never really known the man who had been her headmaster. Who had died in the fight against Voldemort. Who had always seemed so invincible; so perfect.

Tom stared at him, his face unreadable and Lyra resisted the urge to say something comforting. She bit her tongue, knowing in her heart that Dumbledore had not told this story for her benefit. It had been for Tom's.

"Anyway, I should be on my way." Dumbledore said, waving a hand to dispel the heavy silence that had descended upon the three of them. "I'll be back to pick you both up in a few days. Enjoy your last few days in this wonderful establishment." Dumbledore said, gesturing to the rather plain and white room around them.

"Professor." Tom said, making both Lyra and Dumbledore turn towards him in surprise. "What are you going to do with the wand?"

Dumbledore hesitated, and Tom eyed him evenly, eerily calm.

"You were going to keep it weren't you." Tom said, quietly, raising an eyebrow.

Dumbledore examined Tom in silence for a moment before nodding. "I thought it would be good to have on hand in case it is needed. It saved Elaina's mother's life. It could be valuable to the school in the future."

"Or it could fall into the hands of someone like me." Tom said, and Lyra felt a chill run through her at the ease with which he acknowledged his own darkness.

"What would you propose I do with it?" Dumbledore asked.

"Destroy it." Tom said, and Lyra felt herself smile despite herself. She looked over at Tom, a wave of pride washing over her. He was asking Dumbledore to destroy the object he had been craving for the better part of half a year now. The Elder Wand was the very embodiment of ultimate power. Destroying it meant more than simply preventing it from being misused - it meant rejecting power itself.

Dumbledore nodded, slowly, the hint of a smile on his lips. He fished in the pocket of his cloak, pulling out the wand. "Very well." He said, holding the wand out to Tom. "Would you like to do the honours?"

Tom frowned in surprise, staring at the wand in front of him as if it was going to bite him. He gave Dumbledore a questioning look and Dumbledore merely smiled back, waiting for him to take the wand.

"Do it." Lyra said, and Tom looked over at her, his dark eyes meeting her own. She smiled, feeling, rather than seeing, the fear and confusion and turmoil that hid behind his calm façade. He nodded, his eyes becoming vulnerable for a split second before he turned away from her and seized the wand in front of him. He held it up in front of him, his hands holding either end of the wand. Lyra watched, her heart beating with anticipation as Tom stared at the wand. She should be afraid, Lyra thought. She should be worried about him turning on them now that he had the ultimate instrument of power in his own hands. It wasn't too late for him to become Voldemort. He could leave the country, make more Horcruxes, recruit more followers...but something inside Lyra told her he wasn't going to do that. Something was different.

Tom pulled his hands down, cracking the wand in two. The sound reverberated through the room and suddenly Lyra was grinning. She resisted the urge to wrap her arms around Tom and hug him as he handed the pieces of the cracked wand back to Dumbledore. Dumbledore smiled, his blue eyes twinkling with an echo of the pride Lyra felt in her own heart.

"Well done, Tom." Dumbledore said, a note of fondness in his voice that Lyra had never heard him use with Tom before. "I believe this was a wise decision."

Tom made no reply and Lyra looked over at him, sensing his discomfort at Dumbledore's praise.

"Professor?" Lyra asked, attempting to draw the attention away from Tom so he could relax, "Have you told them...everything...yet?"

Dumbledore turned his attention to her, nodding. "Yes." He said, smiling gently, "I imagine you'll have a lot to talk about when you get back."

"How did they take it?" Lyra asked, her stomach swirling with nervousness. Tom had begrudgingly agreed to allow Dumbledore to explain everything to Elaina and Rosalie on condition that they swear an unbreakable vow to keep the story to themselves.

Dumbledore smiled reassuringly, "About as well as you could expect. I'm sure they will have come to terms with things by the time you return."

Lyra cringed, her anxiety deepening at this. "Do you want me to tell Conan?" Dumbledore asked, and Lyra looked over at Tom pleadingly. He met her eyes, a look of resignation on his face.

"Go ahead." Tom sighed, "He knows the worst of it already."

Dumbledore nodded, giving the two of them a sympathetic look. "I'll tell him tonight. It'll give him time to process before you return."

Lyra nodded, crossing her arms as she struggled to suppress the worry that the truth may alter her friendships forever. Not that she would be seeing them much once she returned to the future, Lyra thought, suddenly feeling even more upset.

"Well I think it's time I let the two of you get on with your evening." Dumbledore said, turning to leave for the second time. This time, Lyra and Tom made no protest, exchanging their goodbyes and closing the door behind him. The moment the door closed, leaving the two of them alone in the room, Lyra turned to Tom, pushing her own sadness away so she could focus on the momentous victory that had just occurred.

"You are amazing." Lyra said, the awe she had felt earlier when he had destroyed the wand returning.

Tom looked at her, confused, and Lyra laughed. "You destroyed the wand. The thing you've been searching for this whole year. And you did it because you were concerned it might be used to harm people."

A pained expression filled Tom's eyes and he sighed, "No, Lyra. I destroyed it because I knew that as long as it was out there I would be tempted by it."

Lyra's expression softened, "I know." She said, reaching to take his hand. He pulled away, almost instinctively, but Lyra caught his hand before he could escape and held it firmly. "Same thing."

Tom frowned, looking perturbed, "No, it is not the same thing Lyra. A part of me still wants power and you don't know how much effort it is taking to stop myself from giving in to that desire."

Lyra shook her head, remembering the total absence of fear she had felt when he had held the single most powerful weapon in the wizarding world. "Dumbledore is the same." Lyra said, "He's lived his entire life not being able to trust himself. But look at what he's achieved. He's done so much good."

Tom wrinkled his nose, "I'm not like him though, Lyra. I am evil-"

"You are _not_ evil, Tom." Lyra cut in forcefully.

"Yes, I am." Tom insisted, trying to pull his hands out of Lyra's. Lyra only gripped them tighter, unwilling to let him slip away.

"There is no good or evil." Lyra said, a memory resurfacing to the front of her mind, "Only love and those too afraid to seek it."

Tom scoffed derisively, "Who told you that?"

Lyra saw Ginny in her mind's eye, recounting in detail everything Harry had told her about his brush with Voldemort. Lyra saw herself, listening with a pounding heart as she tried to reconcile Ginny's account of the bodiless man with the little boy with brown hair and distrusting eyes she'd met in her basement.

"No one." Lyra said, "It's just true. Stop being afraid, Tom. You can push me away all you want and try to convince me you're evil but I'm not going anywhere. You think I don't know what I signed up for? Give me some credit."

Tom looked at her, his hands relaxing in hers as he stopped fighting to break free. "It just doesn't make sense." Tom said, sounding genuinely confused, "Why do you want _me_?"

At this, Lyra lost her self-control and threw herself on him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He stood still as a rock for a moment, clearly shocked, before wrapping his arms around her as well.

"Don't ask stupid questions, Tom." Lyra said, pulling back to look at him.

* * *

The carriage bumped along, jostling Lyra, Tom, and Dumbledore, who sat in silence. Lyra felt excitement bubble up inside her as the Hogwarts castle came into view. It felt like an eternity since she'd last seen it. When she'd left, she had truly believed she would never see it again.

Reaching the Hogwarts gates, the thestrals stopped and Dumbledore stood up, opening the door for Lyra and Tom. The two of them descended from the carriage in silence, as Dumbledore opened the gates to admit them into the Hogwarts grounds.

"Welcome home." Dumbledore said, smiling as Lyra and Tom walked through the gates.

Lyra grinned, unable to stop herself and glanced at Tom. His face was impassive as usual, but she knew he was relieved to be back in the one place he had ever felt like he belonged.

"Now, your things are already packed and waiting for you in my office but I dare say you will want to say a few goodbyes before you leave." Dumbledore said as they walked up the hill to the castle.

A twinge of nervousness mixed with sadness entered Lyra's heart at the prospect of seeing her friends for the last time.

As they entered the castle, Lyra breathed in the familiar smell of the place, feeling somewhat comforted by it. Dumbledore led the way to his office, opening the door to reveal three familiar faces. Lyra froze, staring at Elaina, Rosalie, and Conan, suddenly terrified they already hated her.

"Lyra!" Elaina cried, running forward and wrapping her arms around Lyra before she knew what was happening. Lyra stumbled under the force of the hug, her mind reeling. Lyra hugged her friend, and grandmother back, feeling tears prick at her eyes. At last, Elaina pulled back to stare at her, her own eyes glistening with tears.

"Thank you." She breathed, "Thank you so much. You saved my mother's life."

Lyra shook her head, "I didn't. Dumbledore-"

"He said you were the one who gave him the clue to defeat Grindelwald - to get around the blood pact." Elaina said, shaking her head, "It's thanks to you the war is over and my mother's alive."

Lyra felt her cheeks turn beet red and stared at her friend, at a loss for words.

"She's right." Conan said, walking up to Lyra cautiously, as if he was nervous. "You saved me and my sister too. You were far braver than I was."

Lyra felt her eyes fill with tears and she threw her arms around Conan, shocking him this time. "Don't be stupid. You did what you had to do to protect your sister. He put you in an impossible situation."

Lyra let go of him, smiling through her tears at him. "You really never were a Slytherin." Conan remarked, and Lyra laughed.

"Hey, not all Slytherins are evil." Rosalie piped up from behind Conan, and Lyra turned to look at her. Rosalie had been the one she had been most nervous about meeting. She knew Elaina and Conan already knew about Tom and her true identity. She also knew they both suspected her feelings for him. But Rosalie had been completely in the dark.

Rosalie grinned mischievously, her green eyes glinting, before running to throw her arms around Lyra. Lyra let herself breathe a sigh of relief and laughed, hugging her friend tightly.

"So you're from the future, huh?" Rosalie said, as she pulled out of the hug.

Lyra laughed, "Or you're from the past." She said, her smile melting as she saw Rosalie was no longer looking at her. Instead, she was staring past Lyra, at Tom.

Lyra turned to look at him, feeling guilty she had completely forgotten he was still in the room. Tom stood still, his hands in his pockets. Lyra could tell he was uncomfortable, but as per usual, he was doing an excellent job of hiding it from the others. Dumbledore, for his part, was nowhere to be seen.

Elaina and Conan turned to look at him as well and Lyra felt her stomach flip. Slowly, Elaina stepped forward, walking towards Tom. Lyra almost took a step forward and then stopped herself.

"Listen Riddle." Elaina said quietly, "I think I speak for all of us here when I say I don't like you, I don't trust you, and I sure as hell won't miss you."

Tom's face remained expressionless, his dark eyes fixed coldly on Elaina.

"But I, personally, and now I am speaking strictly for myself, want to thank you for saving Lyra. If you hadn't told Dumbledore the truth, Lyra would be dead, we would still be in a war, and my mother would still be dying." Elaina continued. "You're not _quite_ , and I stress _quite_ , as horrible as I thought you were."

Lyra watched Tom carefully, noticing the way his jawline tightened ever so slightly. He was uncomfortable, Lyra thought to herself, trying not to smile.

"I always suspected you knew more than you let on." Tom said after a moment, examining Elaina as if she were an interesting specimen under observation. "Since we can talk openly now, I'm curious. How much _did_ you know?"

Elaina was silent for a moment before responding. "Everything." She said at last, a definite note of smugness in her voice.

"What!?" Shrieked Rosalie from the back of the room.

Tom's eyes widened ever so slightly, a flash of anger passing behind them before it was quickly hidden from view. Lyra's mouth fell open as she stared at her grandmother.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lyra asked, shocked.

"Because that would have put Cepheus in danger." Tom replied without looking at Lyra. He had his eyes fixed on Elaina. Slowly, Elaina nodded.

"You knew he killed Myrtle and you didn't say anything!?" Rosalie cried, aghast. "Hagrid got expelled for that!"

"Hagrid's name is going to be cleared as soon as we leave." Lyra said quickly, "Dumbledore is going to tell Dippet that Grindelwald had Hagrid under the Imperius curse and told him to open the Chamber of Secrets. Grindelwald's agreed to defend the lie."

"Why is Grindelwald going along with this?" Rosalie asked, justifiably confused.

"It was part of the bargain." Lyra said, shrugging. "Dumbledore promised to do his best to ensure he doesn't receive the death penalty or the dementor's kiss if he agrees to certain terms. This was one of them."

The room fell silent, the five of them looking at each other. For once, there was nothing but honesty between them. The lies had all been uncovered and exposed. Now, for the first time ever, they could all see each other clearly.

The silence was broken at last by the return of Dumbledore. "Well I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but I am afraid it is time to leave." He said, depositing a single trunk on the floor. Between the two of them they hadn't even had enough belongings to justify a second trunk. On top of Lyra's trunk, he placed a small cage containing Button, and Lyra smiled despite herself imaging what Astoria would say about her new pet.

Lyra turned to look at her friends, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. Before she could say anything, Rosalie threw herself into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"I'll find you again in the future. I hope you won't mind being friends with an old woman." Rosalie said and Lyra laughed, her tears escaping her eyes now.

She turned to Conan, hugging him more gently. "I'll see you around too, I'm sure." Conan said, and Lyra nodded.

At last, she turned to Elaina, wiping tears off her face. She stared at her young grandmother's face, knowing the truth. This was goodbye. She would never see Elaina Selwyn again. Elaina Selwyn would die of cancer the night before Lyra's 14th birthday. Of course, this might not happen now that the timeline was so messed up, Lyra reminded herself. Still, there was a good chance this was goodbye.

Her heart breaking, Lyra wrapped her arms around Elaina, trying to hold onto this moment so that she could remember it later. "I love you." She said, thinking both of the grandmother she had grown up with and the loyal friend she had found in the past.

"I love you too." Elaina said quietly, before pulling back, her eyes wet. "Granddaughter." She added, laughing.

Lyra laughed, stepping away from her friends and towards Tom and Dumbledore. She looked up at Tom and felt her spirits lift ever so slightly. He met her eyes with his own dark ones, his expression gentle and reassuring. She resisted the urge to hug him and contented herself with reaching out to take his hand. He slipped his fingers through hers, the hint of a smile on his lips.

Dumbledore passed Tom the trunk and Lyra Button's cage, smiling. "I expect you will be seeing me very soon." He said, his blue eyes sparkling. "For me, however, this is goodbye for now."

"Thank you," Lyra said, as sincerely as she could, "For everything you've done."

Dumbledore smiled fondly back at her, "Goodbye, Lyra." He replied, before turning to Tom, "Goodbye, Tom."

"Goodbye." Lyra said, looking around one last time at the small gathering of people. She tightened her grip on Tom's hand and lifted their entwined fingers to meet her other hand. Still holding onto Button's cage, Lyra carefully removed the ring from her finger.


End file.
